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ALMON   DANFORTH   HODGES 
AND   HIS   NEIGHBORS. 


One  Hundred  Copies  Printed  for  Presentation  only, 
of  which  this  is  no.  ^  '% 


Please  acknowledge  receipt  to 

ALMON  D.  HODGES,  Jr., 

S  Park  Street, 

Boston,  Mass. 


Almon  Danforth  Hodges 


AND   HIS   NEIGHBORS. 


AN     AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH 


TYPICAL  OLD  NEW   ENGLANDER. 


EDITED   BY 

ALMON   D.  HODGES,  Jr. 

PKESENTED   BY 

AMOKY  G.  HODGES  AND  ALMON  D.  HODGES,  Jr. 


BOSTON,    MASS. 

PRIVATELY     PRINTED. 

1909. 


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IVho  is  the  honest  man? 
He  that  doth  still  and  strongly  good  pursue. 
To  God,  his  neighbour,  and  himself  most  true ; 

Whom  neither  force  nor  fawning  can 
Unpinne,  or  wrench  from  giving  all  their  due. 

Whose  honestie  is  not 
So  loose  or  easie,  that  a  ruffling  winde 
Can  blow  away,  or  glittering  looke  it  blinde ; 

Who  rides  his  sure  and  even  trot. 
While  the  world  now  rides  by,  now  lags  behinde. 

Who,  when  great  trials  come, 
Nor  seeks  nor  shunnes  them,  but  doth  calmly  stay 
Till  he  the  thing  and  the  example  weigh ; 

All  being  brought  into  a  summe. 
What  place  or  person  calls  for,  he  doth  pay. 

Whom  none  can  work  or  wooe 
To  use  in  any  thing  a  trick  or  sleight. 
For  above  all  things  he  abhorres  deceit ; 

His  words  and  works,  and  fashion  too, 
All  of  a  piece,  and  all  are  clear e  and  straight. 

George  Herbert. 


CONTENTS. 


The  Old  New  Englanders 13 

New  England  Ancestry      .        . 19 

Norton  in  1801 29 

An  Old  New  Englander  Clothier 48 

The  Home  of  a  Norton  "  Gentleman  "    .        .        .        .  57 

The  Old  Country  School 64 

A  Country  Child's  Every-day  Life          ....  73 

Apprentice  Days 84 

Business  Life  in  Providence 116 

Social  Life  in  Providence 144 

Military  Service  in  Ehode  Island 165 

The  Dorr  War 175 

Family  Life  in  Providence 211 

Six  Changing  Years,  1845-1850 226 

The  Washington  Bank  of  Boston 245 

The  Re-established  Home  in  Eoxbury    .        .        .        .266 

A  Dash  Through  Europe  in  85  Days        ....  274 

The  Civil  War  Period 289 

The  Final  Years 301 

Appendices:  — 

I.    Ledger  Accounts  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Jr.    .  307 

II.     Barter  Prices  in  Norton,  1790-1810         .        .  317 

III.    Tax  Notifications  and  Warrants    .        .        .  319 

ly.     Business  and  Family  Finances         .        .        .  322 

V.     Providence  Cotillion  Parties,  1824-1826         .  324 

VI.    Washington  Bank  Data 330 

Index  of  Names 337 

Index  of  Subjects 349 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


AUTOGKAPHS  (fkom  Oeiginals  owned  by  the  Editok). 

PAGE. 

Adams,  J.  Q.,  Letter  to  Edward  Everett,  written  1843   ...  28 

Andrew,  John  A.,  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  written  1861,  1862, 

1864 294,  295,  297-299 

Avery,  John,  Secretary  of  Massachusetts,  written  1798  ...  26 

Barnett,  Thomas,  of  Niagara  Falls,  written  1845  ....  220 
Baylies,  H.,  Collector  of  Kevenue,  written  1799       ....  44 

Bowen,  Henry,  Secretary  of  Rhode  Island,  written  1827, 1828,  1842, 

1844 167-170 

Bullard,  Samuel  P.,  Usher  of  Providence  School,  written  1818  .  215 
Church,  John,  Colonel  of  Rhode  Island  Militia,  written  1825  .  166 
Clarke,  Pitt,  Pastor  of  Norton  Church opp.  36 

"       Thomas,  D'pty  Sec'y  of  Mass.  Bay  Province,  written  1758  25 

Donnison,  Wm.,  Adjutant  General  of  Mass.,  written  1801       .        .  27 

Fenner,  James,  Governor  of  R.  I.,  1827,  1828,  1844  .  .  167,  168,  170 
Foye,  Wm.,  Treasurer  of  Mass.  Bay  Province,  written  1747   .         .  24 

Frost,  Hezekiah,  Preceptor  of  Woodstock  Academy,  written  1802  266 
Green,  John,  Orderly  Sergeant  of  Mass.  Militia  Co.,  written  1819        102 

Harvey,  Thomas,  of  Norton,  written  1704 20 

Hodges,  Almon  D.,  written  1864,  1815,  1845,  1862    .         .      28,  37,  220,  292 

"        Henry,  written  1717,  1704 20 

Jonathan,  Senior  (Clothier),  written  1757,  1743,  1758      22,  23,  47 

"        Jonathan,  Junior  (Captain),  written  1800,  1814  .        .    25,  55 

"        Joseph,  written  1729 21 

Rufus,  written  1814 55 

Joslin,  Henry,  of  Norton,  written  1758 46 

King,  Samuel  Ward,  Governor  of  R.  I.,  written  1842  .  .  .  169 
Lawrence,  Samuel  C,  Colonel  5th  Regt.  M.  V.  M.,  written  1861  .  294 
Leonard,  Ephraim,  of  Norton,  written  1758 25 

"        George,  Junior,  of  Norton,  written  1758  .        .         .25,  opp.  38 

Mehaffey,  C.  O.,  Aide-de-Camp,  written  1862 292 

Parker,  Samuel  H.,  Colonel  of  Mass.  Militia,  written  1822      .        .         108 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Pownal,  Thomas,  Governor  of  Mass.  Bay  Province,  vrritten  175S 
Sharp,  James,  Company  Clerk  of  Mass.  Militia,  written  1820 
Stiles,  Frederick  G.,  Major  42(1  Kegt.  M.  V.  M.,  written  1864 
Sumner,  Increase,  Governor  of  Mass.,  written  1798 
Taft,  George,  Preceptor  of  Providence  School,  written  1818 
Walker,  Eleazer,  of  Norton,  written  about  1810 


Warner,  Oliver,  Sec'y  of  Mass.,  written  1861,  1862,  1864 
Wetherel,  John,  of  Norton,  written  1704 
White,  Nicholas,  of  Norton,  written  1704 
Williams,  Thomas,  of  Norton,  written  1704 


294, 295, 


PARE. 

25 

104 

299 

26 

215 

56 

297-299 

20 

20 

20 


BUILDINGS   AND   VIEWS. 


Leonard  Mansion  House,  Norton,  built  before  1700         ...  39 

From  Rev.  G.  F.  Clark's  Histoi-y  of  Norton. 

J.  D.  Williams's  Former  Residence,  the  Neck,  Washington  Street, 

Boston opp.  94 

From  photograph  owned  by  Mrs.  James  B.  Case. 

J.  D.  &  M.  Williams's  Former  Store,  the  Neck,  Washington  Street, 

Boston opp.  96 

From  photograph  owned  by  Mrs.  James  B.  Case. 

Market  Square,  Providence,  in  1844 opp.  118 

From  an  old  woodcut  engraved  by  S.  S.  Kilburn. 

Union  Building,  Providence,  about  1870.     Former  Stores  of  Stim- 

son  &  Hodges opp.  116 

From  photograph  loaned  by  Aaron  C.  Towne  of  Providence. 

No.  9  and  11  South  Main  St.,  Providence,  in  1909.     Former  Store 

of  Stimson  &  Hodges opp.  122 

From  photograph  taken  Ijy  Dr.  Charles  V.  Chapin  of  Providence. 

Boston    it    Providence   R.   R.   Station,   India   Point,   Providence, 

about  1840 opp.  128 

Painting  by  K.  C.  Ghwhling.    From  engraving  by  S.  S.  Kilburn. 

Dorr  Flourishing  the  Sword  in  Providence,  1842      ....         184 
Drawing  by  Thomas  A.  Iloppin.    From  Arthur  M.  Mowrj''s  Dorr  AVar. 

State  Arsenal,  Providence,  Guard  in  Upper  Room,  1842  .         .         185 

Drawing  by  Thomas  A.  Hoppin.    From  Arthur  M.  Mowry's  Dorr  War. 

State  Arsenal,  Providence,  The  Attack  on,  in  1842  .         .         .         187 

Drawing  by  Thomas  A.  Hoppin.    From  Artliur  M.  Mowry's  Dorr  War. 

Eddy  House,   Providence,  1870-80.     Former  Residence  of  A.  D. 

Hodges opp.  216 

From  photograph  loaned  by  James  R.  Snow  of  Cranston,  R.  I. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Whig  Mass  Meeting,  Boston  Common,  1844 

Plate  loaned  by  State  Street  Trust  Co.,  owner  of  the  original  print. 

Water  Celebration,  Boston  Common,  1848        .... 

Plate  loaned  by  State  Street  Trust  Co.,  owner  of  the  original  print. 

Washington   Bank,  Boston,  corner  Washington  and   Beach 

Streets        

Drawn  from  description  of  Mr.  W.  H.  Quigley. 

Washington  Bank,  Boston,  47  State  Street        .... 
From  photograph  owned  by  the  Boston  Athenaeum. 

Roxbury,   Mass.,    Residence   of   Almon   D.    Hodges,    39   St. 
James  Street      ......... 

From  photograph  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 


PAGE. 

opp.  164 
opp.  238 


Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  Residence  of  Almon  D.  Hodges 
From  photograph  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 

DOCUMENTS  (Originals  owned  by  the   Editor). 

Ballot,  Rhode  Island  City  Convention,  1844     .... 

"■      Rhode  Island  Law  and  Order  Prox,  1844 
Commissions,  Military         ...         25,  26,  166-170,  294,  295,  297 
Comstock,  Martha.     Certificate  of  her  Teachers,  1818     . 
Confession  of  Faith  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Senior,  1743    . 
Glazier,  Amery.     Certificate  of  his  Preceptor,  1802 
Hodges,  Almon  D.     Penmanship  Specimens,  1815  . 

Militia  Orders  to  train,  1819,  1820       .         ,         .         102, 
Fine  for  not  Training,  1819  .... 

Warrant.      Sergeant  Boston  City  Guards,  1822 
Commission.     Adjt.  2d  Regt.  R.  I.  Militia,  1825 

Lieut.  Col.  2d  Regt.  R.  I.  Militia,  1827 
Colonel  2d  Regt.  R.  I.  Militia,  1828 
Lieut.  Col.  Police  Regt.  R.  I.  Militia 


opp.  250 
opp.  256 

opp.  270 
opp.  302 


Commission. 

Commission. 

Commission. 

1842 

Commission.     Col.  Providence  Horse  Guards,  1844 

On  Ballot  in  1844 

Invitation  to  West  Point  Cadets'  ball,  1844 

Niagara  Falls  Certificate,  1845    .... 

Military  Pass  to  Virginia,  1862 
Almon  D.,  Junior.     Commission.     Lieut.  42d  Mass.  Inf. 

1864 

George  F.    Commission.    Lieut,  and  Paymaster  .5th  Mass 
Inf.,  1861 

Commission.     Lieut,  and  Adjt.  18th  Mass.  Inf.,  1861 

Henry.     Taunton   Selectmen's   Recommendation   of  an 

Ordinary,  1704 


122 
206 
-299 
215 

23 
266 

37 
104 
103 
108 
166 
167 
168 

169 
170 
122 
219 
220 
292 

299 

294 
295 

20 


10  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 

Hodges,  Jonathan,  Senior.     Confession  of  Faith,  1743    ...  23 

Provincial  Tax  Warrant,  1747 24 

Commission.     Lieutenant,  1758  .         •    .    •         •  25 

Specimen  of  Ledger,  1752-1758 46,  47 

Jonathan,  .Junior.     Commission.     Captain,  171)8       .         .  26 

Resignation.     Captain,  1801 27 

Chaise  Tax  Receipt,  1800 44 

Specimen  of  Ledger,  1788-1814  .....    54,  55 

William  T.     Commission.     Lieut.  41st  Mass.  Inf.,  1862  .         297 

Commission.     Capt.  4th  Mass.  Cav.,  1864  .        .        .        298 

Ledger  Specimens 46,  47,  54,  55 

Military  Commissions,  Orders,  Pass  and  Warrant     .    25,  26,  102-104,  108, 

166-170,  292,  294,  295,  297-299 

Niagara  Falls  Certificate,  1845 220 

Order  for  Dyeing,  Shearing  and  Pressing  Cloth,  about  1810  .  56 

Philharmonic  Society  Programme,  Providence,  1834       .         .         .         152 

School  Certificates 215,  266 

Taunton  Selectmen's  Recommendation  for  Keeping  an  Ordinary, 

17U4 20 

Tax  Warrant  (1747)  and  Receipt  (1801) 24,  44 

Warrant  of  Almon  D.  Hodges  as  Sergeant,  Boston  City  Guards, 

1822 108 

West  Point  Cadets.     Invitation  to  Ball,  1844 219 

MAPS. 

Map  showing  Hodges  Homestead  in  Norton,  about  1830         .        .  59 

("oiiiiiiled  by  the  Editor. 

Map  of  Providence  County,  R.  I.,  1842 199 

From  tbe  Providence  .Journal  of  .July  19,  1842. 

Map  of  Eastern  Railroad,  between  Boston  and  Swampscott,  1846  230 

From  the  Boston  Almanac  of  1847. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

Fire  Engine.     The  First  Hydraulion,  Providence,  1821  ,         .         146 

Old  Print.    From  engraving  by  S.  S.  Kilburn. 

Fulling  Mill,  The  Old  New  England 49 

Drawn  by  W.  J.  Hodges  from  data  of  the  Editor. 

Gravestone  of  Elder  Henry  Hodges,  1717  ....  opp.  21 

Ji'rom  photograph  owned  by  the  editor. 

Norton  Town  Seal 29 

By  kindness  of  Jacob  A.  Leonard,  Town  Clerk. 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  11 


Railroad  Coach,  Original,  Boston  &  Providence      .         ,         .        opp.  120 
From  photograph  presented  by  the  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  &  H.  R.  K.  Co. 

Street  Railroad,  Metropolitan.     The  First  Open  Car       .        .  270 

From  Ballou's  Pictorial  of  April  '2o,  1857. 


PORTRAITS. 

Bacon,  Eben.     Third  President  of  Washington  Bank      .         .        opp.  262 
From  photograph  owned  by  Mrs.  Fiuncis  E.  Bacon. 

Baldwin,  Aaron,  about  1841.     First  President  of  Washington 

Bank opp.  246 

From  painting  Vjy  Francis  Alexander  owned  by  Herbert  B.  Cushing. 

Clarke,  Rev.  Pitt,  of  Norton opp.  36 

From  an  engi-aving  owned  by  the  editor. 

Comstock,  Sally  Brown,  March,  1847 opp.  213 

From  painting  by  James  S.  Lincoln  owned  by  F.  S.  Hodges. 

Dorr,  Thomas  Wilson opp.  176 

Daguerreotype  by  A.  L.  Dick.    From  Arthur  M.  Mowry's  Dorr  War. 

Hodges,  Almon  D.       .......         .  Frontispiece 

From  painting  by  G.  P.  A.  Healy,  owned  by  the  Editor. 

Colonel  of  Providence  Horse  Guards  .         .        opp.  170 

From  daguerreotype  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 

And  Wife  Martha opp.  211 

From  painting  by  James  S.  Lincoln,  owned  by  the  Eilitor. 

And  his  Family,  1849 opp.  242 

From  photograph  by  Whipple  &  Black,  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 

Second  President  of  Washington  Bank       .         .        opp.  252 
Fixim  daguerreotjpe  by  Whipple,  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 

Chief  of  Squadron,  Roxbury  Horse  Guards     .     opp.  289,  290 
From  two  photographs  cwTied  by  the  Editor. 

In  Later  Life opp.  304 

From  his  latest  photograph,  owned  by  the  Editor. 

Almon  D.,  Junior,  1849 opp.  242 

In  Hodges  Family  photograph. 

Danforth  C.  and  William  T.  about  1837     .         .         .        opp.  218 
From  painting  by  James  S.  Lincoln,  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 

Danforth  C,  1849 opp.  242 

In  Hodges  Family  photograph. 

Family  in  1849 opp.  242 

From  photograph  by  'Whipple  &  Black,  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 


1-2  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 

Hodges,  Francis  O.,  1849 opp.  242 

In  H()(lf;;es  Family  photof^raph. 

P'rederick  S.,  1849 opp.  242 

In  H()(l5^(^s  Family  photograph. 

George  F.,  1841 opp.  220 

From  painting  by  James  S.  Lincoln,  owned  by  the  Editor. 

George  F.,  1849 opp.  242 

In  Hodges  Family  photograph. 

George  F.  (Adjutant)  and  William  T.  (Captain)         .        opp.  296 
From  painting  by  .Sharpe,  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 

Jane  Hudson opp.  266 

From  photograph  by  Edward  C.  Hodges,  owned  by  the  Editor. 

Martha  (Comstock)  and  Almon  D opp.  210 

From  painting  by  James  S.  Lincoln,  owned  by  the  Editor. 

Martha  (Comstock)  1849 opp.  242 

In  Hodges  Family  photograph. 

William  T.  and  Danforth  C.  about  1837      .         .         .        opp.  218 
From  painting  by  James  S.  Lincoln,  owned  by  the  D.  C.  Hodges  estate. 

William  T,,  1849 opp.  242 

In  Hodges  Family  photograph. 

William  T.  (Captain)  and  George  F.  (Adjutant)        .        opp.  296 
From  painting  by  Sharpe,  owned  by  the  1).  C.  Hodges  estate. 

Lafayette,  General.     Portrait  by  Ary  Schaffer        .        .        .        opp.  156 
Plate  loaned  by  the  Bostonian  Society. 

Leonard,  George.  Junior opp.  38 

From  Rev.  G.  F.  Clark's  History  of  Norton. 

Putnam,  Dr.  George.     Minister  of  First  Church  of  Roxbury         opp.  236 
From  photograph  owned  by  Henry  W.  Putnam. 

Williams,  Moses  .         . opp.  93 

From  photograph  owned  by  Mrs.  James  B.  Case. 


THE   OLD    NEW    ENGLANDERS. 


HE  father  of  my  memory  was  a  person  who  varied 
greatly  as  the  years  —  my  years  —  rolled  on. 

In  my  earliest  remembrance  he  was  a  pleasant 
bef ore-breakfast  companion.  Whenever  I  chose  to 
get  np  betimes  and  appear  with  my  face  and  hands  washed 
and  my  hair  brushed,  I  found  him  ready  for  a  walk,  which  was 
made  the  more  enjoyable  by  stories  of  the  people  who  had  lived 
at  the  places  we  passed,  and  of  the  events  which  had  happened 
there.  On  the  Fourth  of  July  I  could  always  go  up  with  him 
to  Tommj'-'s  Rocks,  at  sunrise,  and  see  the  guns  fired,  and  on 
May  Day  morning  walk  down  to  the  Neck  and  see  the  long- 
line  of  onmibuses  or  street  cars,  crammed  and  jammed  with 
free  passengers,  move  in  procession  from  Boston  to  Roxbury.* 
In  all  cases  there  were  interesting  stories  of  people  and  things. 
I  don't  know  how  young  I  was,  but  I  was  cei-tainh^  very 
small,  when  I  began  to  hear  the  phrase,  so  often  on  his  lips, 
"  Welcome  the  coming,  speed  the  parting  guest."  I  never 
knew  the  time  when  there  were  not  some  visitors  in  the 
house  —  cousins  and  uncles  and  aunts  and  others  —  unless 
there  was  sickness  in  the  family.  It  was  a  lively  household 
and  something  was  always  going  on.  In  the  afternoons  — 
mornings  he  was  at  the  bank,  so  far  back  as  my  memory  goes 
—  there  were  pleasure  rides  or  calls  on  people,  or  now  and 
then  —  for  he  was  very  fond  of  seeing  bright  faces  around 

*  In  its  earliest  years  the  Metropolitan  Street  Railroad  Company  (fol- 
lowing the  former  custom  of  the  Roxbury  omnibuses)  sent  its  cars,  on 
their  first  trip  on  May  Day.  in  a  procession  from  Boston  to  Roxbury, 
and  passengers  were  carried  without  charge;  but  they  had  to  pAy  if  they 
rode  back. 

(  13) 


14  THE    OLD    XKW    ENGLANDEKS. 

him,  as  I  giadually  learned  —  he  would  collect  a  crowd  of 
children,  stop  a  passing  baker's  wagon,  and  buy  up  the  load 
of  cakes  and  cookies  ;  or  hire  an  organ-grinder  and  let  the 
little  ones  dance.  In  the  evenings  there  were  games  and 
glees  in  which  all  present,  old  and  young,  were  expected  to 
join.  There  were  also  grander  occasions,  when  more  people 
came,  and  there  were  talking  and  laughing  and  music  —  al- 
ways music ;  also  ice-cream,  salad,  cakes  and  coffee.  But 
these  pleasures  were  not  allowed  to  interfere  with  my  studies 
and  other  duties,  or  with  the  prescribed  rules  of  conduct  and 
health. 

So  long  as  his  children  were  young,  they  went  regularly  to 
church  twice  on  Sunday ;  and  it  was  his  custom  for  many 
years  in  the  evenings  to  read  "  prayers  "  from  a  book,  which, 
although  they  were  short,  always  made  us  sleepy  and  were 
often  evaded,  so  that  his  audience  was  apt  to  be  limited. 

So  long  as  liis  children  were  small,  they  willingly  arose 
early  in  the  morning,  as  he  did  always,  being  an  adherent  of 
tlie  early-to-bed-and-earlj'-to-rise  doctrine.  But  his  sons,  as 
they  grew  older,  inclined  more  and  more  to  prolong  theii' 
slumbers  and  needed  rousing  that  they  might  not  delay  the 
breakfast.  Father  always  greeted  the  morn  with  song,  and 
usually  the  first  thing  we  heard  was  a  cheerful  hymn  as  he 
})assed  from  his  bedroom  to  the  bathroom  to  take  his  matu- 
tinal sliower.  On  the  way  he  rang  a  bell  to  indicate  that  it 
was  time  to  dress.  If  the  bell-ringing  proved  inefficient,  it 
was  followed  by  the  cry  of  "  Bowse  out  I  bowse  out  I  ''  a 
marine  ejaculation  which  seems  now  to  have  l)ecome  obsolete. 
If  anyone  failed  to  bowse  out  promptl}',  he  was  personally 
visited  and,  if  necessary,  was  ejected  from  his  downy  couch. 
This  morning  performance  was  for  the  little  (ynes  a  delightful 
introduction  to  the  day's  pleasures. 

There  were  rare  occasions  when  he  was  not  agreeable  to  us 
small  people.  He  would  accept  an  excuse,  even  a  flimsy  ex- 
cuse ;    but  a  defiant  "I   will  I  "    or    "I  won't!''  was  nluxyi/s 


THE   OLD   NEW  ENGLANDERS.  15 

considered  by  him  a  challenge  for  corporal  punishment.  I 
presume  that,  being  a  difficult  child,  I  must  have  been 
spanked  by  him,  although  I  cannot  remember  a  single  in- 
stance. To  be  sure,  I  lived  four  years,  after  my  mother's 
death,  away  from  home.  But  I  recollect  the  green  tool-chest 
in  the  bathroom,  which  was  the  seat  of  punishment,  and  the 
two  rods  named  Tommy  Red  and  Johnny  Green,  either  of 
which  the  culprit  might  select  if  he  chose.  And  my  eldest 
brother  has  told  me  tales  in  which  Tommy  Red  and  Johnny 
Green  figured  prominently ;  but  only  at  long  intervals. 

At  one  j)eriod  father  appeared  to  us  rather  behind  the 
times.  Occasionally  he  would  say  "  legislate w'er,"  instead  of 
"  legislacher " ;  and  he  couldn't  read  Virgil  or  Xenophon,  al- 
though he  knew  about  them.  Wliile  he  was  willing  to  con- 
cede that  the  schools  were  very  much  better  than  they  had 
been  in  his  childhood,  and  always  expressed  a  readiness  to  be 
taught  by  his  better-educated  children,  yet  when  pressed  into 
a  discussion  —  which  he  never  began  himself — he  sometimes 
seemed  quite  obtuse.  He  had  been  taught  in  Ms  school  to 
say  "  legislatewer  "  (as  if  that  were  any  argument)  and  really 
now,  sounding  the  letters  separately,  with  especial  reference 
to  the  u,  why  should  one  pronounce  t-iir-r-e  "  clier "  rather 
than  "  fewer,"  unless  it  were  purely  a  matter  of  fashion  ?  And 
fashions  were  apt  to  change  more  than  once,  were  they  not  ? 

We  children  were  never  afraid  of  our  father  and  often  tried 
to  play  a  joke  on  him.  A  good  joke,  at  his  own  expense,  he 
always  took  in  the  best  possible  spirit.  But  a  poor  joke  was 
apt  to  cause  retaliation.  And  as  he  had  a  quick  brain  and  an 
abundance  of  humor  —  which,  however,  was  always  kindly  — 
we  grew  cautious  as  we  grew  older,  and  less  inclined  to  a  con- 
test of  wits. 

There  were  times  when  we  thought  him  prosy,  —  when  he 
was  continually  "  preaching  "  about  honesty  and  economy  and 
punctuality ;  doing  one's  duty  cheerfully  and  without  growl- 
ing (he    hated  a  chronic    growler)  ;    being  a  good    neighbor 


16  THE   OLD    NE^Y  ENGLANDERS. 

(tli;it  was  an  unending  topic  with  him,  and  included  loyalt}'- 
to  one's  country)  ;  working  hard  and  laying  up  something  for 
a  rainy  day ;  —  about  lots  of  things  which  had  been  printed 
years  ago  in  Poor  Richard's  Almanac  and  in  Sunday  School 
books.  Wh}^  talk  so  much  about  tiresome  matters  that  every- 
body knew,  instead  of  telling  us  something  fresh  and  interest- 
ing ? 

Later  in  life  when  I  went  about  in  the  world,  1  discovered 
gradually  that  the  world  had  a  higher  opinion  of  my  father's 
character,  ability  and  appearance  than  had  previously  occurred 
to  me.  I  learned  that  he  had  a  most  extensive  acquaintance 
throughout  the  eastern  and  the  middle  States,  and  even  on 
the  Pacific  coast ;  and  that  his  acquaintances  all  considered 
him  a  greater  and  better  man  than  his  young  children  had 
ever  imagined.  When  I  visited  a  new  city,  people  seeing  my 
name  on  the  hotel  register  or  in  the  newspaper  list  of  arrivals, 
came  to  call  on  "  Colonel  Hodges'  son."  On  being  intro- 
duced, I  was  greeted  cordially  and  congratulated  because  1 
was  "  Colonel  Hodges'  son."  Time  and  time  again  I  was 
told  how  he  had  been  this  and  that  man's  dear  friend,  had 
helped  this  and  that  man  with  sound  advice,  had  aided  this 
and  that  man  to  start  in  business,  had  righted  this  and  that 
wrong,  had  advanced  this  and  that  good  cause ;  what  an  up- 
right man,  what  a  wise  man,  what  a  helpful  neighbor,  and 
what  a  cheery  companion  he  had  always  been.  The  longer  I 
lived,  the  more  pleasant  words  I  heard  about  liim.  I  am  still 
hearing  them  from  the  younger  generation. 

Recently  I  have  been  reading  my  father's  diary  and  other 
documents  of  his  to  which  I  have  fallen  heir ;  and  from  his 
words,  penned  simply  for  his  own  eye,  and  during  his  life 
seen  by  no  other  person  except  perhaps  his  wife,  I  have  come 
to  a  still  better  knowledge  of  him,  and  have  acquired  a  still 
greater  respect  for  his  memory.  It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  a 
good  tiling  to  have  had  such  an  ancestor,  and  a  useful  thing 
to  put  in  permanent  form  an  intimate  account  of  the  domestic 


THE   OLD   NEW   ENGLANDERS.  17 

life  of  his  generation  whose  traditions  and  customs  have  passed 
entirely  away.  Wherefore  I  have  put  together,  for  his  children 
and  his  children's  children,  a  frank  story  of  my  father  and  his 
time,  hoping  that  some  of  them  may  come  to  share  in  the 
pleasure  and  benefit  which  I  have  enjoyed. 

The  period  of  the  Civil  War  has  been  set  up  as  a  great 
landmark  in  this  country,  dividing  the  Old  South  from  the 
New  South.  It  serves  equally  well  to  distinguish  the  Old 
New  England  from  the  New  England  of  to-day. 

So  great  and  so  rapid  have  been  the  changes,  between  the 
Old  New  Englanders  and  the  New  New  Englanders,  in  habits 
of  thought,  waj^s  of  living,  methods  of  business,  means  of 
communication,  systems  of  education,  ideas  of  theology — in 
almost  everything  affecting  their  lives  and  relations  to  one 
another  —  that  unsound  theories  are  springing  up  concerning 
domestic  life  in  New  England  before  the  war.  Oftener  and 
more  confidently,  as  the  past  recedes,  it  is  asserted  that  this 
life  must  have  been  mean  and  sordid ;  that  the  mother  who 
bore  eight  or  ten  or  a  dozen  children,  must  have  been  a 
broken-down  drudge ;  that  the  father  who  toiled  hard,  lived 
simply  and  accumulated  only  a  small  amount  of  cash,  must 
have  passed  a  life  barren  of  pleasure ;  that  the  children  who 
were  early  taught  to  work,  and  were  taken  to  church  twice 
every  Sunday,  must  have  been  unhappy  creatures. 

It  seems  rather  strange  that,  in  the  recent  historical  at- 
tempts to  describe  family  life  before  the  Civil  War,  those  who 
have  written  of  the  Old  South,  have  usually  painted  it  as  a 
land  of  pure  delight ;  while  those  who  have  treated  of  the 
Old  New  England,  have  generally  depicted  it  as  a  region  of 
gloom  and  sadness.  The  former  may  have  laid  on  the  bright 
colors  too  thick ;  the  latter  certainly  have  used  the  dark  tints 
too  exclusively.  Verily  there  is  ample  reason  to  believe  that 
there  were  as  much  brightness  and  happiness  in  the  Old  New 
England  as  in  the  Old  South,  or  indeed  as  exist  in  the  present 


18  THE   OLD  NEW  ENGLANDERS. 

New  England.  Certainly  this  sketch,  which  is  the  intimate 
personal  history  of  a  representative  Old  New  Englander, 
written  in  great  part  in  his  own  words,  is  the  story  of  a  very 
happy  life. 

The  snhject  of  the  sketch,  as  was  quite  customary  in  his 
day,  kept  a  diary  —  a  "journal  "  he  called  it,  and  his  term  is 
adopted  here  —  in  which  he  jotted  down  the  incidents  of  his 
life.  His  journal  was  begun  when  he  was  eighteen  years  old  ; 
the  last  entry  was  made  within  twelve  hours  of  his  death.  He 
suiDplemented  it  by  marginal  notes,  by  "  recollections  "  of  his 
childhood  and  youth  which  he  wrote  for  his  children,  by 
various  historical  addresses  and  frequent  newspaper  articles, 
and  by  scrap-books.  He  also  collected  and  preserved  a  num- 
ber of  old  family  papers,  including  the  account-books  of  Ms 
father  and  his  grandfather,  who  were  "  clothiers  "  as  well  as 
farmers.  These  account-books  range  from  1744  to  1813,  and 
as  the  system  of  barter  prevailed  to  a  great  extent  in  those 
days,  they  contain  many  curious  and  interesting  data.  Tliis 
book  is  substantially  a  re-statement  of  the  facts  noted  in  the 
above  documents,  written  almost  entirely  in  his  own  words, 
even  in  many  cases  where  "  the  editorial  I "  has  insisted  on 
obtrudiuR'  itself. 


NEW   ENGLAND   ANCESTRY. 


LMOST  of  necessity  for  the  development  of 
his  type,  his  ancestors  in  New  England  were 
all  of  English  stock.  Among  them,  of  course, 
were  John  and  Priscilla  Alden  of  the  May- 
flower. There  were  also  ministers,  seven  in  number,  viz. :  — 
James  Allen,  Oxford  graduate,  ejected  in  1660  from  the 
English  pulpit,  minister  of  the  First  Church  of  Boston 
for  forty-two  years,  and  one  of  the  wealthiest  residents 
of  Boston  in  his  day ;  Samuel  Danforth,  member  of  the 
second  class  which  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College, 
Pastor  of  the  First  Church  of  Roxbury  from  1650  to 
1674,  colleague  of  the  Apostle  Eliot,  astronomer,  mathema- 
tician and  poet ;  Samuel  Danforth,  son  of  the  last,  a  Harvard 
graduate  of  the  Class  of  1683,  minister  for  forty  years  at 
Taunton,  Mass.,  where  he  acquired  "  an  unbounded  influ- 
ence "  over  his  townsmen,  and  where  he  was  also  "  the  prin- 
cipal, if  not  the  only,  physician  and  lawyer "  ;  John  Mayo, 
graduate  of  an  English  university,  probably  Oxford,  minister 
at  Barnstable  and  at  Eastham,  Mass.,  and  then  for  seventeen 
years  of  the  Second  Church  of  Boston ;  Nicholas  Street,  prob- 
ably graduate  of  Oxford,  minister  at  Taunton  from  1638  to 
1659,  and  then  at  New  Haven;  William  Tompson,  Oxford 
graduate,  driven  from  ministerial  labors  in  Lancashire  over  to 
America  where  he  became  minister  of  the  First  Church  at 
Braintree,  —  a  rather  gentle  character  much  tinged  with  mel- 
ancholy; and  John  Wilson,  whose  father  was  a  clergyman, 
and  whose  grand-uncle  was  Edmund  Grindall,  Queen  Eliza- 
beth's Puritan  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  Wilson  was  a 
graduate  of  Cambridge  University,  chaplain  and  preacher  for 

(19) 


20  NEW   ENGLAND   ANCESTRY. 

several  years  in  England,  and  then  the  militant  first  minister 
of  the  First  Church  in  Boston  from  1630  until  his  death  in 
1667. 

Elders  and  deacons  of  churches,  captains  of  military  com- 
panies, selectmen  of  towns,  and  holders  of  other  prominent 
local  positions  Avere  exceedingly  plentiful.  It  was  a  vigorous, 
energetic.  God-fearing  stock  in  all  its  branches. 

In  the  year  1643  William  Hodges,  the  first  known  member 
of  the  tribe,  appeared  at  Taunton,  Mass.  Whence  he  came, 
and  why  he  crossed  the  ocean,  is  unrevealed.  He  may  have 
been  the  "  William  Hedges  "  who  was  appointed  on  a  jury  at 
Salem,  Mass.,  March  27,  1638,  but  this  is  not  certain.  About 
1649  he  married  Mary  Andrews,  whose  father  was  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  Taunton,  and  by  her  had  two  sons,  John  and 
Henry.  He  held  considerable  property,  and  probably  was 
comparatively  young  when  he  died  in  1654. 


/^^<^  ^0^3:) 


Henry  Hodges  of  Taunton,  the  second  son,  was  captain  of 
the  military  company,  held  the  highest  town  offices  for  many 


THE-3C 


'yf-** 


':mi^ii!(iW»'::aamimKm^ 


GRAVESTONE  OF   ELDER   HENRY  HODGES. 
Erected  1717.-  Reset  1906. 


NEW   ENGLAND    ANCESTRY.  21 

years,  was  a  deacon  and  presiding  elder  of  the  church,  oc- 
cupying, it  is  said,  a  seat  in  the  pulpit  with  the  minister. 
He  married  and  had  eleven  children.  He  died  and  was 
buried  in  the  Neck  of  Land  Burying  Ground  where  still  is  to 
be  seen  his  gravestone  inscribed :   here  lies  the  body  of 

ELDER    HENRY    HoDGES    AGED    65    DIED    IN    THE    YEAR    1717 

SEPTEMBER  THE  30.  An  excavatiou,  made  one  hundred  and 
eighty-nine  years  after  his  burial,  disclosed  one  end  of  his  oak 
coffin,  blackened  with  age  but  unchanged  in  form.  His  auto- 
graph, twice  reproduced  above,  is  to  be  found  on  many  old 
documents,  owing  to  his  prominence. 


Joseph  Hodges,  son  of  Henrj-,  thus  signed  his  name  in 
1729.  He  was  deacon  of  the  church,  assessor  and  selectman 
many  years,  served  as  major  in  the  Old  French  War,  took 
part  at  the  siege  of  Louisburg  on  the  island  of  Cape  Breton 
in  1745,  and  died  from  wounds  or  sickness  on  his  journey 
home.  His  homestead  was  in  the  southern  part  of  Norton 
near  the  Taunton  line.  He  married  twice  and  had  eight 
cliildren,  all  by  his  first  wife. 

His  will,  made  just  before  starting  on  the  Louisburg  Ex- 
pedition, mentioned  "  my  Silver  Hilted  sword "  which  he 
bequeathed  to  liis  eldest  son,  Captain  Joseph  Hodges,  who 
in  turn  devised  it  to  his  only  son,  another  Captain  Joseph 
Hodges,  and  he  to  his  oldest  son,  a  third  Captain  Joseph 
Hodges.  This  last  had  an  energetic,  capable  New  England 
wife,  who  held  the  interests  of  her  children  paramount  to  all 
other  interests.  Hence  it  was  that  when  some  articles  were 
needed  for  her  home,  and  ready  cash  was  not  immediately 
available,  the  silver  hilt  of  Major  Joseph's  sword  was  sacri- 
ficed by  her  for  the  sake  of  her  family  and,  by  the  process  of 


22  NEW   ENGLAND   ANCESTRY. 

barter,  was  transmuted  into  silver  spoons.  The  blade  is  still 
owned  by  her  grandchildren,  whose  respect  for  their  capable 
grandmother  is  tempered  by  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  a  priceless 
heirloom. 


Jonathan  Hodges  of  Norton,  son  of  Major  Joseph,  wrote 
his  name  as  above.  There  being  an  elder  man  of  the  same 
name  in  Norton  in  his  earlier  years,  he  was  called  then 
Jonathan  Hodges,  2d,  and  also  Jonathan  Hodges,  junior. 
He  was  a  farmer.  He  was  also  a  "clothier";  that  is,  he 
owned  a  water-power  fulling  mill,  which  he  built  in  1744, 
and  carried  on  the  business  of  fulling,  dyeing  and  dressing 
cloth.  He  was  a  person  of  prominence  and  held  many  offices, 
among  them  that  of  warden,  being  "  of  good  substance  and  of 
sober  Life  and  conversation,"  as  the  law  required.  One  of 
his  official  duties  was  to  see  "  that  the  Sabbath  was  duly 
observed  in  all  public  houses  and  elsewhere,  and  to  examine 
all  persons  suspected  of  unnecessary  travelling  on  Sunday." 
His  badge  of  office  was  a  "  white  wand,  not  less  than  seven 
Feet  in  length."  Many  of  his  papers  have  been  preserved 
and  three  of  them  are  reproduced  here,  namely :  — 

His  "confession"  or  "experience,"  as  it  was  then  termed. 
This  was  the  declaration  of  his  Christian  experience  made, 
about  1743,  previous  to  joining  the  church,  as  was  customary 
in  colonial  days. 

A  provincial  tax  warrant,  in  1747,  directing  him  to  collect 
the  amount  assessed  on  the  town  of  Norton. 

His  commission,  in  1758,  as  Second  Lieutenant  of  the  First 
Foot  Company  of  Norton,  of  which  he  was  afterwards  Cap- 
tain. 

He  was  born  in  Norton  February  26,  1721  (O.  S.),  and 
died  there  July  18,  1795.  He  married  Abigail  Sanford  and 
had  ten  children. 


NEW   ENGLAND   ANCESTRY.  23 


^j^^'Z^ 


J^^y  ^t/e>t,U^  ^^^   ^  ^H^f  £'T^  ft^*t^  ^tiT  /z^ 

S^m^^i^aJ-  ^^"^^     ^^^^    '/Uc^  i^^t-^  i^c  >>^*-   f*tuja^u^ 

CONFESSION   OF  JONATHAN    HODGES. 


24  NEW    ENGLAND  ANCESTRY. 


Province  of  the 
MaJfachufettSrBay^'RP' 


William  Foye,   Efq\ 

Treafm  'cr  &  Receroer-Generdof  His  Majeftfsfaid  Province^ 

To\f<rKsma!<9frr^iAi        Conftable  or  Collc<!kir  of  the  Town  oi  tyyen/cr/T^     tjreeting,  6tc. 

75  T  Virtue  of  an  AEl  of  the  Great  and  General-Court  or  AJfemhly  of  tbe  fald  Province,  begun  and 
^  held  at  Bofton,  upon  Wednefday  tbe  Twenty-feventh  Day  of  May  1747.  In  tbe  21^  Tear 
«/  Hi!  Majefly  s  Reign,  Entilukd,  Kn  Adl  for  apportiomng  and  affefllng  a  Tax  of  Thirty-nine  Thou- 

Jand  one  Hundred  and  three  Pounds  Hirteen  Sbif/ings  andfeven  Pence  ;  and  alJb  for  appDrtioning  and 
aliening  a  further  Tax  of  Two  Thoufand  eight  Hundred  and feventy-eight  Pounds  eleven  Shillings  and 

fx  Pence,  paid  the  Reprefeotatives  to/  their  Ser\^ce  and  Attendance  in  the  General  Court  and  Travel, 
amounting  in  the  whole  to  Forty-one  Tboufand  ^int  Hundred  and  eighty-two  Pounds,  five  Shillingi 
and  ont  Penny ; 

rrHESEsnkiH'u  'M&jtsTv't  Nemt  It  WiB  mj^itjatrt  ftt  "  CcUtH  aB  tud  niry  lie  Sums  ef  Money  mo-f-nti  ci  ihe  U/t 
i    tr  Ufli  •flit/aii  Tax  «•  Apfsmm  tfw  Tim,  mtdt  h  lit  /tS'Sv'  «r  SikH-Mta  iJ  ibi  laidtnin,  <uU.temml}inlUitm 
U  Cil!<3  :  Aimnlini  in  lit  fVhIl  I*  tb<  Stmcf  ~~ 

■T***  <*>».  Of  radi.Pertda  i4m,*nio)i^  Iim  PrapoBten  fet  down  Ia  tjic  Cud  Uffi  or  tiSs.  .ii(i<are.d« 

bll  Day  of  Atyr  ncTt  i  fo  that  you  ducly  pay  in  th«  Sum  Total  of  the  faid  Lifts  unto,  and  makt  ujr  md  lifet  your  Accompl 
of  the  whok  thettpf  with  Myfelf,  His  Majctty's  Treafurcr  and  Reoiivcr-Gcncral  of  His  Rcvciuic  witbin  thi?  Province,  tny  Deputy- 
or  Deputies,  or  SucceJlbn  in  the  laid  Office,  at  or  before  th«lafl  Day  of  "Juitt  next,  whK:h  wil]  be  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord  Out 
Tbnfiad  frun  HmdrrJ  anj  fcrty-riibt,  vbtcb  you  arc  alike  fequirtd  to  do.  And  in  caic  any  Perfon  or  Perforn  lliall  rcfufc  or  negleft 
to  pay  the  fcvenl  Sum  or  Sums,  wbertat  he  or  they  are  fet  in  tjvr  Anirfsment,  and  are  to  pay  the  lame  upon  Demand  made,  [  tjthcr 
in  BiJJs  of  Credit  orjtted  in  and  tioct  the  Year  One  tboufand fcviji  Hundred  andf^rty-em^  according  to  their  Denominations  ;  or  in* 
coined  Silver  it  the  Rate^  Snn  SiHIagi  mi  fix  Penet  pet  Ounce  Troy-weight  i  or  in  Gold  Coin  in  Proportion  ;  or  in  Bills  of 
Credit  of  the  middle  Tenor,  fo  called,  according  to  their  feveralDcnominationj  ;  or  in  Bills  of  the  oldTenor  accounting  four  for  one  v 
or  in  good  Merchan^ble  Hemp,  «t  Ftur  Petye  pa  Pound  -,  or  in  good  Merchantable  /Jle  of  SMe  Cod-fUh,  at  7n  SbiHtngi  per 
Q^intali  or  in  gtjod  refined  B&r-lron  at  Fifteen  Pounds  per  Ton  v  or  in  Bloomery-Iron,  at  Twelve  Ptmndt  p<r  Ton  ;  or  in  hollow  Iron 
Ware,  at  Twelve  Ponndi  per  Ton  i.  or  in  pxxl  Indian  Corn,  at  Two  ShiUtngi  and  fix  Pence  per  Buihel  i  or  in  good  Winter  Rye,  at 
Tko  SttUJn£i  onJfisi  Pence  per  Bufid  i  or  m  good  Winter  Wheat,  at  Ttree  Sbilbnp  per  Buihel  i  or  in  good  Barley  at  Ta/o  SbiUiagi 
per  Buihel  ;  or  in  good  Barrel  Pork,  at  Two'  Poundi  per  Barrel  i  or  in  Barrel  Beef  at  One  Pound  five  Sbillingi  prr  Barrel  ;  or  in 
Dock  or  Canras,  at  Two  Poundi  ten  Sbillingi  per  Bolt,  each  Bolt  to  weigh  Forty-three  Pounds  ,  or  in  long  Whalebone,  at  Tino  SUlUngi 
and  three  Pence  fa -Poxsnd;  or  in  Merchantable  Cordage,  at  One /"tKniZ/w  iiiVUx^i  per  Hundred  i  or  in  good  Train  Oyl  at  Ont 
Pouud  ten  St:Kngt  per  Carrel  i  or  in  good  Bees- Wax,  at  Ten  Pence  per  Pound  i  or  in  good  Bayberry-Wai,  at  Six  Pence  per  Pound  i 
or  in  tryed  Tallow,  at  Four  Pence  per  Pound  i  or  in  gotxJ  Peafe  at  Three  SbiUingj  per  Buihel  i  or  in  good  Shcopa  Wool,  at  Nrnt 
Pfnce  per  Pound  i  or  in  good  tann  d  Solr-  Leather,  at  Four  Pane  per  Pound  :  All  which  aforefaid  Commodiriea  Ihall  be  of  the  Pro- 
fhxc  of  this  Province  i  1  it  fhall  and  may  be  lawful  for  you,  and  you  arc  hereby  authorized  and  required  for  Non-parmcnt,  todiftrein 
the  Perfon  or  Perfons  fo  rrfiifing  or  neglefling,  by  hii  or  their  Goods  or  Cbatcles  i  and  the  Diftrefj  or  Dlftrefles  fo  taken,  to  kerp  for 
the  Ipace  of  Fouf  Days,  al  the  Coft  and  Charges  of  the  Owner  thereof  ;  ud  if  the  laid  Owner  do  not  pay  the  Surti  e£  Sums  of  Money" 
fo  affenid  upon  ftim,  within  the  faid  Four  Days,  then  the  laid  Diftrefs  or  Diftreffcs  to  be  forthwith  openly  fokl  at.  an  Outcry  by  you, 
for  Payment  of  the  feid  Money,  Notice  of  fuch  Sale  being  poftpd  up  in  fome  publick  Place  id  the  iaroe  "Town/Twcnty-four  Hovirs 
before-haml  -,  «t>d  the  Os-erphis  comir.g  by  the  (Kid  Salt  (  ifanybc  )  over  and  above  the  Charges  of  taJang  and  kreriing  the-  Dirtrefs 
or  DltbtDe!,  It  be  immediattly  rdlored  to  the  Owner.  Ami  if«ny  I'crfon  or  Perfons  »nclfid  as  ofonJiil,  Qlajrveti;fc  or  jiegleft  CO 
py  theSumor  Sums  foa&ncd,  by  the  fpace  of  Twclrc'Days  after  Demand  thereof,  where  no  fuiStient  Dirtreli  nn  or  may  be  lound, 
whereby  the  lame  may  be  levied  ;  in  every  hlch  Cafe,-  you  are  to  epply  your  fetf  unto  Two  or  more  of  the  AITcflbn  within  your  Town 
fcrWarrant  to  commit  fuch  Pcrfon  orPerfonsto  the  common  Goat,  as  the  Law  du-cfts.  And  where  any  Peribn  or  Pvrfons  (Kill  rrmove 
frtKn  your  Town,  not  having  firft  paid  the  refpe-flivc  Sums  cm  Prouortion  fet  upon  him  or  them  in  Cud  Tax  or  Af&Isment  i  you  uc 
hereby  authorize  and  imnowered  to  detcand  the  Sum  or  Sunjs  afldTt-d  upon  fuch  Peribn  or  Perfons,  in  what  Town  or  Place  foevcr  ha 
or  they  may  be  found  witl  jn  this  Province  i  and  upon  rcfufal  or  ncglrfl  to  pay  the  Ume»  to<Je(ln;in  the  Ciid  Perfon  or  Perfons,  by  ba 
or  their"  Goods  and  ChAttle^,  as  aforcCud  i  and  for  want  of  fuch  Dijlrcfs  to  commit  the  Panv  to  the  common  Goal,  ihert  to  remain  unrj 
Payment  be  made  of  the  Sum  or  Sums  fo  fet  upon  him,with  jill  Qiargcs  anfing  by  realbn  of  lijch  Coffunitracnt  Andbcrcof  you  arc  ni< 
1(0  &il,  upon  the  Pains  and  Penaltia  as  may  in  liich  Cafe  by  La«  be  ioAicted  oa  you. 

Given  under  my  Hand  and  Stal  at  Bofton,  «;5e  Tenth  Z)<iy«/NovCT:iber  1747.  /n  ri^Twcnty-firft 
Tear  of  tbe  Reign  of  our  SovereignLord  G£ORC£  fbe  Second;  e^Gii,B*T-ariTAiJ<,  &c.  K.IN'G. 

PROVINCIAL   TAX-WARRANT 


NEW   ENGLAND    ANCESTRY 


25 


C 


•nee  of  the     \    T  HO  M^  S  PO  W  N  ^LL,  Efq; 
ttS^S^SlSjCaptaii-General  and  Governor  in  Chief,  in  and 
over  H,s  Majefty's  Province  of  the  Mojfachufetts- 
Bay  ivuVew-Eng/and,  &c, 

Y  Virtue  of  the  Powenand  Authority,  in  and  by  His  MajelV^^s  Royal  Commiffion  to 
Me^ranted  tabe  Capcin  General,  (3-c.  over  this  His  Majeftvs  Province  of  the. Aii^-.. 
cbuJeitj-Bjj^  aforcfaid,  1  yto  by  thefe  I'tefeurS'  Xepofing  efpecial  Truft  and  Confidence 
in  your  Loyalty,  Coufge  and  good  ConctaCf,'  )  conllituteand  appoint  You  the  laid 

^-  y  r  'y  ^-  >•  r^-TT^-^ 


You  ?re  therefore  carefully  and  dilgemly  to  difchai^  the  Duty  of  a  «  W^^/i.'/c'^ ///'^^'^»f- 

in  'eading,  ordering  and  exerciling  fid  ^'m/i/tru/    . io  Arms,  both  inferior  OScers  and 

5 vldiers,  and  to  keep  them  in  good  Order  and  Difciplioc  ;  hereby  commanding  them  to  obey  you 
as  dieir  •  i',-'~y'^/-^ji/fria-n-l  andyout(elf  to  obferve  and  follow  fuch  Orders  and  Inftiuftions,  as 
you  (hall  from  time  to  time  receive  fxm  Me,  or  the  Commander  in  Chief  for  the  Time  being,  or 
other  your  fuperior  Officers  for  HisMajefty's  Service,  according  to  nxilitary  Rules  and  Difcipline, 
purfuant  to  the  Trufl  repofed  in  yoa 

Chen  under  my  Hand  and  Seal  at  Arms  at'^oyx  otfy  the  'T^?/?./ 

Day  of  ^^''n-j/'/)  -      —    In  the  ./^'/rA/ /^7j/  Tear  of  the  Reign  of  His 

Majefiy  King  CEOK(J!E.  the  Second,   Annoq;  Domini,  i  7/^, 


■cv/) 

7 


'^rA^i/^/ 


-/«^--^--/ "~ 


COMMISSION    OF   JONATHAN    HODGES,    CLOTHIER. 


Jonathan  Hodges,  ninth  child  of  Jonathan,  thus  signed  his 
name  when  he  was  captain  of  a  Norton  militia  company.       In 

these  pages  he  is  always  called  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  to 
distinguish  him  from  others  of  the  same  name.  He  was  born 
in  Norton  April  18,  1763,  and  served  in  the  Revolution  in 
-1779,  1780  and  1781.  For  his  military  services  he  was  paid 
in  Continental  paper  money,  wliich  depreciated   so    rapidly 


26 


NEW   ENGLAND   ANCESTRY. 


COMMISSION   OF  CAPT.  JONATHAN    HODGES,  JR. 


NEW   ENGLAND   ANCESTRY. 


27 


RESIGNATION   OF  CAPT.  JONATHAN   HODGES,  JR. 


28  NEW   ENGLAND   ANCESTRY. 

that,  according  to  a  statement  made  by  his  son,  he  never 
realized  a  cent  from  it.  He  married,  in  1790,  Sarah  Danforth, 
great-granddaughter  of  Rev.  Samuel  Danforth  of  Taunton, 
bought  from  his  father  the  homestead  farm  and  the  fulling 
mill  in  Norton,  and  died  in  the  year  1814.  He  was  the  fathei- 
of  Almon  Danforth  Hodges,  who  signed  his  name  as  follows  : 


ji_  0  /%<j/^4a 


Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  named  his  eldest  son  Jonathan, 
and  tliis  child  inherited  in  a  marked  degree  the  mechanical 
abilities  of  his  ancestors.  He  was  an  inventive  genius,  and 
when  he  went  to  England,  had  the  letter  of  introduction  from 
John  Quincy  Adams  to  Edward  Everett,  which  is  here  repro- 
duced. 


NORTON   IN    EIGHTEEN    HUNDRED 
AND   ONE. 


Almon  Danforth  Hodges  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Norton,  County  of  Bristol, 
State  of  Massachusetts,  on  the  25th  day  of 
January,  1801. 

Norton  is  a  level,  sandy  township,  sprink- 
led with  brooks,  ponds  and  pine  woods. 
Here  the  sturdy  husbandman  compelled  from  a  not  too  willing 
soil  a  comfortable  living  for  himself  and  his  family,  and  "  laid 
up  something  for  a  rainy  day."  Everybody  engaged  in  agri- 
culture —  even  the  minister  diligently  tilled  his  field,  in  order 
to  increase  his  income  and  be  able  to  send  his  sons  to  college. 
It  was  a  happy,  diligent,  plain-faring  community  of  about  fif- 
teen hundred  persons,  who  lived  in  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  houses,  making  eight  persons  on  the  average  to  a  family. 
It  was  a  prosperous  community,  although  not  to  be  called 
a  rich  one.  The  assessors'  returns  show  that  on  the  average 
each  householder  possessed,  as  near  as  may  be,  one  horse,  two 
oxen,  two  swine,  three  cows  and  steers,  five  and  three-quarters 
barrels  of  cider,  seven  tons  of  hay  and  twenty  bushels  of  grain; 
and  paid  taxes  amounting  to  nearly  twelve  dollars,  almost 
one  half  of  which  was  expended  on  the  highways.  Appro- 
priations were  not  made  and  taxes  levied  once  a  year,  which 
is  now  the  custom ;  but  at  various  times  in  the  year,  as  the 
emergency  arose,  the  town  voted  to  incur  an  expense,  fixed 
the  amount,  and  directed  the  assessors  to  "  levy  a  rate  "  among 
the  inhabitants  and  to  deliver  this  rate  for  collection  to  the 
town  constables.     At  an  earlier  date  the  constable  was  per- 

(29) 


30  THE   TOWN   OF   NORTON 

sonally  charged  with  the  total  levy  in  liis  district  and  held  re- 
sponsible for  it,  whether  he  was  able  to  collect  it  all  or  not, 
unless  the  town  voted  to  excuse  him  in  the  case  of  each  indi- 
vidual failure  to  pay.  As  the  town  was  usually  loath  to 
grant  excuses,  a  dangerous  liability  attached  to  the  office, 
which  was  not  a  popular  one.* 

The  farmer  often  owned  a  kit  of  shoemaker's  tools  and 
made  the  family  shoes,  and  a  set  of  carpenter's  and  wheel- 
wright's tools  and  did  much  of  the  woodwork,  and  even  of 
the  ironwork,  required  on  the  farm.  His  wife  and  daughters, 
with  spinning  wheel  and  loom,  manufactured  the  family  cloth- 
ing, using  as  raw  materials  the  flax  and  the  wool  grown  on 
the  farm. 

The  men  performed  the  heavy  work  of  preparing  the  flax- 
fibre  by  pulling  the  plant  out  of  the  ground,  separating  the 
seeds  with  ripple-combs,  soaking  the  stems  in  water  —  or  ex- 
posing them,  when  sjDread  on  the  ground,  to  the  influences  of 
dew  and  rain  —  until  they  were  well  fermented  or  "rotted," 
and  then  vigorously  bruising  the  stalks  in  the  heavy  flax- 
brakes  and  striking  them  with  the  blades  of  scutching  knives. 
By  these  processes,  first  the  leaves  and  resinous  or  gummy 
constituents,  and  then  the  woody  matter  of  the  stems,  were 
removed,  leaving  the  cleaned  flax-fibres.  These  the  women 
combed  with  hand-heckles,  thus  separating  the  flax  into  two 
products :  —  long,  fine  fibres  ;  and  "  tow,"  that  is,  short,  coarse 
and  broken  material.  Each  of  these  products  was  separately 
spun  on  flax  wheels  and  woven  on  looms  into  fine  linen  or 
into  tow  cloth. 

In  the  case  of  wool,  the  men  did  the  shearing  and  cleansing 
of  the  material,  which  was  then  given  to  the  women  for  card- 
ing and  combing  by  hand  and  spinning.  The  spun  yarn  was 
knitted  into  stockings  and  mittens,  or  woven  into  cloth.     The 

*  In  Appendix  III  are  copies  of  documents,  illustrating  the  tax  pro- 
ceedings in  those  days,  from  the  papers  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior, 
who  served  a  numher  of  terms  as  constable  and  assessor. 


IN    EIGHTEEN    HUNDRED   AND   ONE.  31 

latter  was  generally  sent  to  the  fulling  mills  of  which,  at  this 
date,  there  were  two  in  Norton,  one  owned  by  Jonathan 
Hodges,  Junior,  the  other  by  his  brother-in-law,  Thomas  Dan- 
forth.  After  the  cloth  had  been  fulled,  dyed,  sheared  and 
pressed,  it  was  returned  to  the  family  to  be  cut  and  sewn 
into  whatever  article  was  desired. 

Cotton  was  spun  and  woven  on  a  limited  scale,  and  now 
and  then  small  lots  of  jane  (or  jean)  came  to  the  clothier's 
shop  to  be  sheared,  dyed  and  pressed.  Rags  were  woven  into 
bed  coverlets,  and  were  a  common  article  of  barter.  At  this 
period  a  considerable  portion  of  the  household  fabrics  in  Nor- 
ton were  imported  into  town  and  sold  by  the  store-keepers, 
—  such  as  the  finer  woolen  goods  and  cotton  cloth.  Nine 
years  later  the  first  cotton  factory  was  built  in  the  place. 

Aljout  this  year  the  women  and  children  began  to  braid 
straw  and  sew  the  braid  into  bonnets  and  hats,  —  an  occupa- 
tion which  increased  rapidly.  The  first  straw  bonnet  braided 
in  the  United  States  is  said  to  have  been  made  by  Miss 
Betsey  Metcalf  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  in  1798.  Miss 
Betsey  Makepeace  of  Norton,  while  on  a  visit,  learned  the 
process  and  introduced  it  into  her  native  town. 

Iron  bog-ore  and  pond-ore  occur  in  various  parts  of  the 
townsliip,  and  during  a  hundred  years,  beginning  in  1G98, 
comparatively  large  quantities  were  smelted  with  charcoal 
and  worked  up  into  various  shapes.  These  Old  New  Eng- 
landers  were  wonderful  fellows  and  could  fashion  the  most 
diverse  articles  with  the  simplest  apparatus.  But  by  the 
commencement  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  iron  business  in 
Norton  had  waned  and  was  carried  on  chiefly  in  connection 
with  the  making  of  nails.  These  originally  had  all  been 
hammered  out  by  hand,  but  now  they  were  made  in  "  slitting 
mills  "  and  "  cutting  mills  "  ;  the  first  slit  the  iron,  after  it 
had  been  rolled  to  the  proper  thickness,  into  strips  of  the 
widths  needed  for  the  lengths  of  the  nails ;  the  latter  cut 
these  strips  into  nails  wliich  were  handed  over  to  the  Indus- 


82  THE   TOWX   OF   NORTON 

trious  farmers  to  be  headed  b}^  hand.  When  the  heading  of 
nails  was  done  by  machinery,  tiie  whole  iron  business  passed 
away  from  Norton.  But  in  1801  there  were  still  two  iron 
forges  there,  a  slitting  mill  and  three  cutting  mills ;  and  the 
heading  of  nails  b}''  hand  gave  employment  to  a  number  of 
people.  One  penny  (lf\)  cents)  per  pound  was  paid  this 
3-ear  for  heading  four-penny  nails,  and  three-quarters  of  a 
penny  (one  cent)  for  heading  six-penny  nails. 

And  tins  year  there  were  four  grist  mills,  four  saw  mills 
and  three  tanneries  in  the  town,  running  spasmodically,  the 
enumeration  of  wliicli  completes  the  available  manufacturing 
statistics  of  this  date. 

Money  was  still  calculated  very  generally  in  the  old  terms 
of  pounds,  shillings  and  pence,  six  shillings  being  the  equiva- 
lent of  one  dollar.  The  values  in  the  day-book  of  Jonathan 
Hodges,  Junior,  were  reckoned  in  "  £.  s.  d."  until  September 
16,  1795;  then  in  "  ^.  ctsr  until  November  7,  1796;  then 
again  in  pounds,  shillings  and  pence  until  January  2,  1807, 
when  the  linal  change  to  our  present  currency  was  made. 

There  was  not  much  cash  in  circulation.  Business  was 
carried  on  jjrincipally  by  the  system  of  barter,  balances  being 
settled  sometimes  in  cash  but  oftener  by  notes  of  hand. 
Hence  such  documents  as  the  ledgers  of  Jonathan  Hodges, 
father  and  son,*  afford  many  interesting  facts  concerning  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  people  in  the  olden  days  ;  show 
A\liat  these  people  ate  and  drank,  what  they  wore,  what 
wages  they  received,  what  prices  they  paid  —  in  various 
ways  how  they  lived  and  died.  In  1795  Jonathan  Hodges, 
Junior,  credited  "  Mr.  Daniel  Braman  By  making  my  Fathers 
Collin,  £  0-9-0,"  and  "  Mr.  James  Hodges  By  diging  my 
father=^  grave,  £  0-1-0."     Very  likely  it  was  a  consoling  in- 


*  Specimen  extracts  from  the  ledger  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  are 
given  in  Appendix  I,  and  barter-prices  in  Norton,  at  this  period,  in  Ap- 
pendix II. 


IN   EIGHTEEN   HUNDRED   AND    ONE.  33 

cident  that  the  coffin-raaker  and  the  grave-digger  were  both 
"  gentlemen,"  as  shown  by  the  title  of  "  Mr."  prefixed  to 
their  names.  Dr.  Daniel  Parker  charged  one  dolhxr  in  1795 
for  "one  Visit  to  my  mother"  ;  but  his  fee  in  1797  for  one 
visit  was  only  two  shillings,  or  SS^  cents. 

The  ordinary  daily  wage  of  an  ordinary  man  was  50  cents, 
but  the  best  workers  and  those  engaged  as  carpenters  and 
maso)is  and  in  other  skilled  trades  received  nearly  double  this 
amount.  In  other  words,  a  man  was  paid  from  3  to  5  shil- 
lings according  to  his  skill  and  ability.  The  daily  wage  of 
girls  and  women  varied  from  7  pence  (or  10  cents)  to  1  shil- 
ling 8  pence  (or  28  cents),  very  likely  in  addition  to  their 
board.  For  spinning  yarn  5|  to  8i  cents  were  paid  per  yard 
of  12  knots;  and  for  weaving,  the  rate  varied  from  7  to  12i 
cents  per  yard. 

Beef,  mutton,  pork  and  veal  were  the  staple  meats,  pork 
being  the  most  expensive  and  costing  12  ^  to  17  cents  per 
pound.  Cliickens  are  mentioned  now  and  then  :  a  few  years 
previous,  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  paid  one  shilling  and  six- 
pence (21  cents)  for  "  two  Dung  Hill  fouls."  Beans,  pota- 
toes and  turnips  were  the  most  common  vegetables  bartered ; 
prices  per  bushel  quoted  this  year  were  1^  dollars  for  beans 
and  33i  cents  for  potatoes  and  turnips.  Onions,  rarely  men- 
tioned, cost  one  dollar  a  bushel. 

Corn,  rye,  buckwheat  and  flour,  butter,  cheese,  salt  codfish, 
fresh  fish  from  the  neighboring  ponds  and  streams,  and  eggs, 
were  regular  family  foods  often  mentioned  in  the  accounts. 
Rice,  at  4  to  7  cents  a  pound,  was  bartered  to  some  extent. 
Raisins,  costing  ninepence  to  a  shilling  per  pound,  were  much 
used.  Biscuit  and  gingerbread  seem  to  have  been  considered 
dainties,  for  although  the  women  of  the  Hodges  family  were 
notably  "good  providers  "  and  famous  for  their  home  supplies 
of  doughnuts,  cookies  and  other  toothsome  products  of  the 
old-fashioned  brick  oven,  tliey  were  constantly  buying  these 
articles  from  the  storekeepers,  who  charged  for  biscuits  and 


34  THE   TOWN    OF   NORTON      " 

double-biscuits  (the  latter  a  little  more  expensive)  11  to  22 
cents  per  dozen. 

]\Iany  varieties  of  fruits  and  small  fruits  grew  abundantly 
in  Norton,  but  only  the  apple  was  used  much  in  barter.  This, 
eaten  raw  or  cooked  or  used  for  making  cider,  was  of  constant 
mention  at  the  price,  for  a  good  quality,  of  about  one  shilling 
per  bushel. 

Everybody  drank  cider,  of  which  two  kinds  were  made : 
"  whole  cider  "  and  "  water  cider."  Rum  was  abundant,  of 
four  qualities  :  West  India  rum.  New  England  rum,  cherry 
rum  and  new  rum.  Brandy,  for  cooking  and  medicinal  pur- 
poses, and  gin,  for  medicine,  were  of  constant  use  in  the 
family.  Sarah,  widow  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  on  her 
68th  birthday  made  this  entry :  "  January  21,  1826,  my  birth- 
day Mr  Morey  &  Jonathan  [her  son]  came  and  brought  me  a 
gallon  of  gin."  An  article  of  frequent  mention  was  "  wine," 
which  cost  11.12  to  ^2.00  per  gallon. 

Tea,  coffee,  chocolate  and  shells  were  used  in  the  families, 
sweetened  with  sugar  —  brown  sugar  for  every  day  and  loaf 
sugar  on  grand  occasions.  Every  family  used  molasses.  So 
great  was  the  demand  for  it  that  for  a  few  years,  during  the 
Revolutionary  War  and  again  during  the  war  of  1812,  it  was 
made  in  Norton  on  a  very  small  scale  from  the  stalks  of  Indian 
corn.  From  1790  to  1810  it  varied  in  price  from  40  to  80 
cents  a  gallon.  This  year,  1801,  it  sold  at  60  cents.  Honey 
cost  about  16 1  cents  a  pound. 

Tobacco,  costing  11  cents  per  pound,  is  mentioned  a  few 
times,  and  once  a  widow  bought  a  small  quantity.  Snuff 
was  evidently  used  not  unfrequently. 

For  lighting  the  houses  candles  were  used  exclusively,  at 
least  in  the  home  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  as  shown  by 
his  accounts  and  inventory ;  and  he  was  a  well-to-do  man. 
Tallow  was  a  regular  article  of  barter  and  cost  14  or  15 
cents  a  pound.  Beeswax  about  tliis  time  cost  21  cents  a 
pound. 


IX   EIGHTEEN    HUNDRED   AND    ONE.  35 

The  fuel  was  wood  and  charcoal.  Anthracite  coal  had  been 
mined  in  the  town  but  was  of  too  poor  quality  for  use. 

Home-made  garments  of  wool  and  linen  were  worn,  no  arti- 
cle in  any  way  connected  with  their  manufacture  necessarily 
coming  from  beyond  the  town  limits  except  the  dyestuffs,  the 
paper  used  in  pressing  cloth,  and  a  few  iron  or  steel  imple- 
ments or  parts  of  implements  necessary  for  shaping  the  ma- 
terials. 

One  or  two  of  the  oldest  and  wealtliiest  men  in  town  ad- 
hered to  the  old  Continental  costume.  Others,  on  state 
occasions,  wore  the  dress  which  is  made  familiar  to-da}^  by 
the  cartoons  of  Uncle  Sam.  They  had  the  "castor"  or 
"beaver"  hat  (price  in  1803,  .f6.50)  —  the  alternative  was 
the  felt  hat  which  cost  SI. 25  ;  the  high  collar  and  stock;  the 
broadcloth  frock  coat  and  the  "  pattern  westcoat ;  "  the  panta- 
loons—  I  find  a  mention  of  Russia  linen  pantaloons  —  more 
rarely  called  trousers,  cut  and  sewn  in  the  house  or  by  a  seam- 
stress ;  *  and  shoes  made  in  the  town,  —  the  cost  of  making 
being  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar.  High  boots  and  half  boots  were 
also  worn.  The  early  trousers  were  made  with  a  broad  flap  in 
front  which  buttoned  at  the  sides.  When  the  present  fashion 
of  buttoning  the  trousers  was  first  introduced,  it  was  strenu- 
ously denounced  as  indecent  by  the  conservatives. 

The  favorite  colors  for  these  clothes  were  navy  blue  and 
various  tints  of  brown  and  yellow ;  but  black,  bottle  green 
and  olive  green  were  much  used  also. 

The  women,  who  rode  frequently  on  horseback,  were  sup- 
plied with  riding  hoods  and  riding  habits.  There  were  many 
silk  gowns  in  town  which  came  to  the  clothier's  shop  to  be 
dyed  and  stiffened  and  pressed.  Also  silk  veils.  Earrings 
were  among  the  most  common  female  ornaments. 


*  On  July  31,  1802,  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  credited  Sally  Stanley 
with  2  shillings  '•  By  cuting  out  one  pair  of  trowser  for  tlios  ]\[orey 
[his  apprentice],  &  making  one  pair  for  my  self." 


36  THE   TOWN   OF   XOKTON 

The  most  intinential  person  in  town  was  the  minister. 
There  was  only  one  church,  over  which  was  settled  the  Rev. 
Pitt  Clarke,  a  man  of  strong  character,  marked  ability,  sound 
judgment  and  attractive  personality,  whose  reputation  ex- 
tended far  beyond  the  town  limits.  He  knew  how  to  Win  and 
to  retain  the  respect  and  the  affection  of  the  men,  women  and 
children  of  his  parish.  A  rather  curious  bit  of  evidence  of 
his  influence  over  the  younger  members  of  the  community 
is  the  fact  that  a  schoolboy,  when  called  on  by  the  school- 
master to  give  an  exhibit  of  his  penmanship,  dedicated  his 
effort  to  the  minister  in  producing  the  lines  photographed 
from  the  original  on  the  opposite  page. 

Mr.  Clarke  was  "  liberal "  in  his  theological  opinions,  but 
never  assumed  a  sectarian  position  or  applied  to  himself  or  his 
church  the  name  "  Unitarian,"  which  was  adopted  later  by  the 
society.  He  seems  to  have  remained,  as  he  began,  the  "  Pas- 
tor of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Norton."  He  believed,  to  quote 
his  own  words  :  "  1^*  in  one  God,  the  Father  of  ye  whole  hu- 
man race,  ye  Lord,  God  and  Judge  of  ye  world  ;  2^^  in  ye 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  ye  only  begotten  son,  whom  ye  Father 
hath  sent  into  ye  world  to  save  mankind  from  sin  and  sorrow, 
in  his  sufferings  on  ye  cross,  in  his  triumphant  resurrection 
and  ascension  into  heaven ;  3'''^  in  ye  holy  spirit,  that  it  was 
shed  forth  abundantly  on  ye  first  disciples  of  our  Saviour,  im- 
parting unto  them  all  necessary  wisdom  and  knowledge,  and 
)-e  power  of  working  miracles  in  ye  first  state ;  4^'^  in  ye 
resurrection  from  ye  dead  and  in  ye  future  judgment." 

Mr.  Clarke's  opinions  were  accepted  as  orthodox  by  Ids 
people.  Not  until  three  years  before  his  death,  after  a  har- 
monious agreement  during  forty  years,  was  any  charge  of 
heterodoxy  brought  against  him.  Then,  unexpectedly,  liis 
conscientious  refusal  to  accede  to  a  demand  made  by  one  of 
his  wealthiest  parishioners  was  resented  as  an  affront,  his 
theology  was  attacked,  and  a  few  members  of  his  church  se- 
ceded and  formed  the  Trinitarian  Congregational  Church. 


(y^/yty€^  ^^cur^^Lc-^ 


IN    EIGHTEEN^   HUNDRED   AND   ONE.  37 


C^l^^       d 


i^  -i^^a^^^ 


--^ 


'^/7/C6  €/^  U^TIO. 


^U^    Cl4/,/K^, 


■ — '^    r-«'<a4>-4f    ^^  <!<si>z<j<«'!^    ez/rld    canty  ^lu^C'£^c-y 


n/ 


^^4?^, 


38  THE   TOWN   OF   NORTON 

The  wealtliiest  man  in  town  this  year,  and  the  first  in  social 
position,  unless  the  minister  were  such,  was  the  Honorable 
George  Leonard,  very  commonly  called  Judge  Leonard.  He 
was  descended,  in  the  fifth  generation,  from  the  immigrant 
James  Leonard.  This  James  and  his  brother  Henry  were  the 
fathers  of  the  iron-smelting  industry  in  the  United  States. 
They  built  and  ran  in  Taunton  the  first  iron  works  on  tliis 
continent  which  were  operated  with  financial  success.  Henry 
moved  to  New  Jersey  and  there  continued  to  smelt  iron  ores. 
James  remained  in  the  business  in  Massachusetts,  where  he 
and  his  descendants  for  generations  prospered  greatly. 

Judge  Leonard  was  an  admirable  specimen  of  the  New  En- 
gland country  gentleman,  who  thought  he  had  other  duties  to 
perform  besides  satisfying  his  personal  desires  and  adding  to 
a  mass  of  wealth  already  more  than  sufficient  for  all  rational 
purposes  of  life.  No  finer  type  has  ever  existed.  He  was 
graduated  from  Harvard  in  1748,  had  received  the  degree  of 
A.  M.  from  both  Harvard  and  Yale,  and  was  soon  to  be  given 
that  of  LL.  D.  by  Brown.  He  had  studied  law  and  practiced 
his  profession,  more  however  as  an  amusement  than  as  a 
money-making  occupation.  He  held  more  imjjortant  offices 
than  any  other  citizen  of  Norton,  having  been  Judge  of  Pro- 
bate, Chief  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  member  of 
the  first,  third  and  fourth  Congresses  of  the  United  States, 
member  of  both  branches  of  the  State  Legislature,  Colonel  of 
the  Militia,  etc.,  etc.  "  He  was  a  fine-looking  gentleman  of  the 
Old  School.  He  wore  the  splendid  dress  of  the  eighteenth 
century  —  the  cocked  hat,  scarlet  broad-tucked  coat,  long  em- 
broidered westcoat,  buckskin  breeches,  and  shoes  with  large 
buckles.  He  lived  in  the  style  of  the  old  English  gentleman, 
having,  in  the  rear  of  the  old  mansion  house,  a  park  where 
he  kept  a  variety  of  animals,  among  them  a  number  of  fine 
deer."* 

*  MS.  of  A.  D.  Hodges. 


*\:- 


mvfi 


fye/ny 


^^C0y 


LCIA^^/^ 


IN   EIGHTEEN   HUNDRED   AND   ONE. 


39 


He  was  a  large  landholder  and  regarded  agriculture  as  the 
noblest  employment  of  man.  He  would  never  rear  sheep  on 
his  farm,  allow  cotton  mills  to  be  erected  on  his  streams,  sell 
his  growing  rye  for  the  straw  manufacturer,  speculate  in 
stocks,  or  raise  his  rents,  regarding  his  tenants  as  his  friends. 
In  all  charitable  works  he  was  ever  foremost.  He  was 
strongly  attaclied  to  the  clergy  and  to  men  of  letters.  In  all 
his  transactions  he  was  governed  by  the  principles  of  rigid  in- 
tegrity, and  during  his  life  was  never  accused  of  injustice  or 
oppression.     He  possessed  sound  judgment,  practical  common 


LEONARD  HOUSE,   NORTON,   BUILT  BEFORE    1700. 

sense,  consummate  prudence  and  unwavering  firmness.  Few 
men  ever  received,  or  deserved,  more  respect  in  any  commu- 
nity. The  Registrar  of  Probate  of  the  county,  after  recording 
Judge  Leonard's  will,  took  the  extraordinary  step  of  adding 
thereto  a  long  notice  of  the  deceased,  from  which  many  of  the 
facts  here  stated  have  been  taken. 

Next  in  wealth  —  if  not  this  year,  certainly  soon  after  — 
and  eventually  the  richest  man  in  Norton,  was  Laban  Whea- 
ton.  Esquire,  as  he  was  often  designated  in  the  records.  He 
was  a  good  specimen  of  the  traditional  Yankee  Squire.  He 
was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1774  and  later  made  A.  M. 


40  THE   TOWN   OF   NORTON 

He  became  member  of  Congress,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  and  State  Representative,  and  held  various 
other  offices.  After  graduation  at  college  he  studied  theology 
and  preached  at  various  places,  but  never  accepted  a  parish. 
Then  he  went  into  business  and  failed.  Penally  he  took  up 
law,  was  very  successful  in  practice,  and  acquired  a  large 
fortune.  Intellectually  he  was  very  bright.  During  many 
years  his  chief,  almost  liis  only  object  in  life  seemed  to  be 
money-making.  But  his  affection  for  his  children  must  have 
been  very  strong  and  eventually  made  him  a  benefactor  of  the 
town.  For  after  the  death  of  his  dearly-loved  daughter,  in 
her  memory  he  founded  and  endowed  the  Wheaton  Female 
Seminary,  which  has  ever  been  a  useful  and  a  prosperous  in- 
stitution. 

The  two  deacons  of  the  church,  the  two  captains  of  militia, 
the  three  doctors  and  the  half  dozen  keepers  of  stores  and  of 
public  houses  of  entertainment  probably  came  next  in  social 
rank.  General  Silas  Cobb  was  an  innholder  at  this  date. 
Doctors  sometimes  kept  public  houses,  but  this  was  not  the 
case  in  this  particular  year.  One  of  the  storekeepers  was  a 
Baptist  preacher.  Thomas  Dauforth,  brother-in-law  of  Jona- 
than Hodges,  Junior,  kept  a  store  and  was  town  treasurer, 
town  clerk,  militia  captain  and  leader  of  the  church  choir. 
According  to  the  historian  of  Norton,  Rev.  George  F.  Clark, 
about  this  period  the  largest  business  of  at  least  one  store- 
keeper was  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors. 

Then  followed  in  rank  the  main  body  of  the  yeomanry, 
which  had  its  own  social  sulxlivisions.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  how  the  men  who  had  proclaimed  to  the  world  as  a  self- 
evident  truth,  "  that  all  men  are  created  equal,"  recognized 
and  enforced  in  their  daily  life  these  well-defined  gradations 
of  rank.  But  rank  with  them  was  not  merely  a  birth-right ; 
it  was  to  be  attained  by  any  who  deserved  it.  One  can  see 
in  the  legal  documents  of  the  period  how  often  a  young  man, 
beginning  perhaps  as  "  labourer,"  rose  step  by  step  to  the  title 


IX   EIGHTEEN   HUNDRED   AND    ONE.  41 

of  "farmer"  (or  "  yeouian  "  or  "husbandman"),  of  "gentle- 
man" and  "  Esquire." 

There  were  of  course  some  poor  people  and  a  very  few 
paupers.  There  was  no  poor-house  in  the  place,  and  it  was 
the  yearly  practice  to  "  vendue  the  poor,"  that  is,  to  sell  their 
maintenance  during  the  year  to  the  lowest  bidder.  More  than 
a  third  of  the  19th  century  elapsed  before  this  practice  was 
al)andoned  and  this  unfortunate  class  maintained  on  a  poor- 
farm  by  the  town. 

There  was  also  a  "  witch  "  who,  poor  thing,  hung  herself 
seven  years  later.  When  the  boys  passed  her  house  after 
dark,  they  held  their  breath  and  ran  at  full  speed. 

They  enjoyed  good  health  at  Norton,  and  manj^  lived  to  a 
ripe  old  age.  David  Makepeace,  born  September  9,  1767, 
reached  this  year  liis  -Slth  milestone,  and  passed  his  102nd 
before  he  ended  his  life's  journey.  He  voted  at  every  presi- 
dential election  from  1789,  when  George  Washington  was 
chosen  chief  magistrate  of  the  nation,  until  1864,  inclusive  ; 
and  he  went  to  the  polls  in  1868  to  vote  for  Grant  and  Col- 
fax, but  as  he  had  not  registered,  liis  ballot  was  not  accepted. 

Some  of  the  inhabitants  must  have  been  endowed  with  re- 
markable natural  faculties  —  Silvester  Newcomb,  for  instance. 
One  June  day  in  the  year  1775,  while  he  was  at  work  in  a 
field  with  his  father,  he  luckily  happened  to  put  his  ear  to  a 
rail  of  the  fence,  and  heard  the  booming  of  the  cannon  at 
Bunker  Hill !  At  least  he  more  than  once  so  informed  his 
young  cousin,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  other  youthful 
friends. 

The  public  buildings  consisted  of  the  meeting-house,  in 
which  the  town  meetings  were  held,  and  seven  school-houses, 
three  of  which  were  erected  this  very  year. 

The  meeting-house  had  been  built  nearly  fifty  years.  It 
was  a  plain  wooden  building,  55  feet  long  by  40  feet  wide, 
with  three  doors ;  one,  which  was  the  main  entrance,  being  on 
the  south  side,  the  others  on  the  east  and  west  ends.     The 


42  THE   TOWN   OF   NOIITOX 

pulpit  was  on  the  north  side,  and  over  it  was  a  large  hex- 
agonal sounding-board  of  panel  work,  supported  by  an  iron 
rod.*  Innnediately  in  front  of  the  pulpit  was  the  deacon's 
seat.  Against  the  walls  of  the  building  on  all  four  sides,  and 
also  occupying  an  additional  part  of  the  main  floor,  were  pews. 
The  town  sold  to  the  highest  bidders  floor-areas,  on  which  the 
purchasers  built  each  his  own  pew.f  The  floor-space  not  oc- 
cupied by  pews  had  benches  —  for  men  on  one  side  and  for 
women  on  the  other.  On  three  sides  of  the  house  were  gal- 
leries with  rows  of  seats  rising  one  above  the  other.  There 
were  some  pews  in  these  galleries,  and  certain  seats  here, 
doubtless  the  poorest  in  location,  were  set  apart  for  negroes. 

The  meeting-house  had  no  steeple  and  no  bell  or  belfry. 
It  was  shingled  on  the  outside  and  unpainted.  On  the  inside, 
certain  portions,  as  the  doors  and  window  frames,  were 
painted,  and  elsewhere  whitewash  was  used.  There  was  no 
stove  or  fire-place,  but  on  Sundaj's  many  of  the  weaker  sex 
brought  small  foot-stoves  filled  with  coals.  Not  until  1818 
was  the  opposition  to  warming  the  meeting-house  overcome. 
That  year  eighty-five  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents  were  raised 
by  private  subscription,  with  which  two  stoves  and  fixtures, 
and  also  some  fuel,  were  purchased. 

The  choir  sat  in  the  gallery  facing  the  pulpit.  Under  the 
leadership  of  Thomas  Danforth,  and  with  the  accompaniment 
of  violins  and  bass  viols,  it  provided  musical  worship,  enter- 
tainment and  instruction  of  a  high  order,  and  flourished 
mightily.  These  were  "the  good  old  days"  of  church  music 
and  family  music  in  Norton  —  long  remembered  and  oft  re- 
ferred to  in  later  years. 

There  were  seven  small  and  very  plain  school-houses.  Of 
the  three  built  this  year,  the  most  expensive  one  cost  not 

*  For  these  and  other  items  relating  to  Norton,  the  editor  is  indebted 
to  Rev.  George  F.  Clark's  excellent  history  of  the  town. 

t  January  1753.  Benjamin  trow  ci-edit  to  Building  my  pue  old  tener 
£08-00-00.     [Ledger  of  the  elder  Jonathan  Hodges,  p.  39.] 


IN   EIGHTEEN   HUNDRED   AND   ONE.  43 

quite  two  hundred  dollars.  It  had  one  aisle,  on  either  side  of 
which  were  two  rows  of  long  benches.  There  was  a  large 
fire-place  op23osite  the  door.  In  one  corner  was  the  teacher's 
desk,  and  in  another  was  a  closet  for  the  girls'  bonnets. 

The  teachers  were  generally  men,  perhaps  exclusively  in 
the  winter  terms ;  women  sometimes  taught  in  the  summer 
terms  at  least.  The  male  teachers  often  were  college  stu- 
dents. The  colleges  had  a  mid-winter  vacation  as  long  as  the 
summer  vacation,  thus  affording  their  students  opportunity 
to  teach  at  the  season  when  all  the  country  schools  were  in 
session,  and  allowed  those  who  did  teach  to  stay  away  from 
college  after  the  vacation  had  ended,  and  on  their  return  to 
"  make  up  "  the  studies  which  they  had  thus  missed. 

For  the  very  young  children,  care  and  instruction  were 
provided  by  several  women  in  their  own  homes. 

There  was  a  small  library  in  town,  kept  in  a  private  house 
and  maintained  by  subscription.  It  was  founded  in  1794 
by  thirty-six  "proprietors,"  who  each  paid  for  one  right  24 
sliillings  in  the  first  two  years  and  1  sh.  6d.  annually  there- 
after. An  individual  was  allowed  to  purchase  more  than  one 
right,  and  could  take  out  as  many  books  at  a  time  as  he 
owned  rights. 

There  was  no  post-office  in  the  township.  To  obtain  letters 
it  was  necessary  to  go  to  Easton  or  Attleborough  or  Taunton. 
There  was  no  stage  line  except  the  one  running  from  Boston 
to  Taunton  on  the  Bay  Road,  which  passes  for  a  very  short 
distance  through  the  extreme  easterly  part  of  Norton.  The 
majority  of  the  people  travelled  on  foot  or  on  horseback. 
There  were  some  who  indulged  in  the  luxury  of  a  chaise. 
Probably  the  minister  had  one  in  liis  later  years,  but  appar- 
ently not  always,  since  the  following  charge  appears  in  the 
ledger  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  who  owned  one  of  these 
vehicles  which  he  frequently  rented. 

"July  20,  1799     Rev  Pitt  Clark  D-". 

for  my  chaise  to  Cambridge  &  Boston  £0-12-0  " 


44  THE   TOWN   OF   NORTON 

There  was  a  State  tax  on  carriages  at  this  period  as  sliown 
by  the  foUowing  receipt : 


'o^ 


A  Hi  S  Is  to  certify,  that    (  ^y^T^^^^^^^-t;:^^!^^  /Av^ 
cf  the  Town  of    ^^k^o^^^^oci^  m  the  County  of 

ybruiht.  and  Diftrid  of  MaffachuiettSr 

Jath  paid  the  duty  of    thyix^  dollars  upon  a.  ux^-o        wheel 

carnage,  called  a    -^A  c<^t  ,  owned  !^  A^^^^-^t-^ 


hav* 


^    top,  to  be  drawB  by  (yru.      liorfe  ,  for  the  conveyance  o£ 
^^Curo        perfou  J  %  for  the  year  to  end  on  the  3od» 
ti  Septeiaber,  sSoo . 


/y  CoUecior  of  (he  Revenue^ 

tu         Dhj/tony  Survey y  Ns.  3 
Majfachujetts* 

The  following  bill  for  "  repairs  "  of  a  chaise  illustrates  the 
spirit  then  prevalent  of  never  throwing  away  as  waste  any- 
thing, or  any  part  of  a  thing,  which  could  be  utilized  :  — 

Taunton  HO  June  17!)8  M^  George  Palmer  to  William  Stall     l)r 

k    s   d 
To  a  New  Boddy  &  Top  £  11-14-0  ....     11-14-0 

To  painting  J^oddy  4-10-0 4-10-0 

To  Triniing  Boddy  Top  3-12-0 3-12-0 


IN    EIGHTEEN   HUNDRED   AND    ONE. 


45 


To  painting  Carrage  Weels  1-10-0 

To  Repairing  harness  1-6-0 

To  Ironwork  Don  for  Chais  9/ 

To  Cleaning  Top  &  harness  15/ 

To  a  New  hind  barr  12/ 

To  brass  work  Don  Said  Chais  9/  . 

To  Repairing  Saddle  12/6 

To  New  Swinggletree  3/ 

To  New  Leathers  on  bottom  Sides 


Mend  Aporn  [apron] 


To  trimiug  for  Gott  [forgotten]  7/6  Cord  &  threed  1/6 


1-10-0 
1-  6-6 
0-  9-0 
O-lo-O 
0-12-0 
0-  9-0 
0-12-0 
0-  3-0 
0-  1-6 
0-  9-0 

£26-3-6 


Equel  to  $87-25  Cents 


Rec'^  payment  in  fnll  by  me 
Isaac  Stall  Sine^  for  Brother  30"'  July  1798 


There  was  no  hearse  in  town  until  1804,  when  the  town 
bought  one.  Before  this  last  date  the  dead  were  carried  to 
their  graves,  sometimes  for  distances  of  several  miles,  upon 
the  shoulders  of  men.  On  December  18,  1789,  Jonathan 
Hodges,  Junior,  charged  Benajah  Tucker  one  shilling  "  for 
my  hors  to  Ride  Double  to  your  father  Tuckers  Bureying." 

There  were  three  militia  companies,  naturally  captained  by 
"  Revolutionary  heroes,"  who,  on  account  of  the  experiences 
of  the  country  during  the  Revolution,  were  strongly  in  favor 
of  a  w^ell-organized  militia.  The  infantry  company  on  the  west 
side  of  Rumford  River  was  commanded  this  year  first  by 
Captain  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  and  then  by  Captain  Rufus 
Hodges  ;  that  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  by  Captain  Isaac 
Makepeace ;  and  the  Norton  Artillery,  by  Captain  John 
Gilbert. 

And  of  these  and  other  institutions  which  did  or  did  not 
exist  in  the  town  of  Norton  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1801, 
more  will  be  said  later. 


^  _  ,^   1  ^  ^    A>    1    Ni  .  ^ 


A  SPECIMEN  OF  THE  LEDGER   OF  JONATHAN    HODGES,  SENIOR. 

(46) 


•^  -^   ^    Nil 
^  ^    ^    ^ 


A  SPECIMEN   OF  THE   LEDGER  OF  JONATHAN    HODGES,  SENIOR. 

(47) 


AN  OLD  NEW  ENGLANDER  CLOTHIER. 


ONATHAN  HODGES,  Senior,  learned  the  trade 
of  clothier  in  Freetown,  Massachusetts.  In  1743, 
being  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  married,  and 
the  next  year  he  bought  a  lot  of  land  in  Norton, 
settled  there  and  built  there  the  first  fulling  mill  ever  erected 
in  that  town.  It  stood  on  Goose  Brook,  near  to  the  road  cross- 
ing this  stream,  in  the  southerly  part  of  the  township  not  far  from 
the  Taunton  line,  in  what  is  now  the  village  of  Barrowsville. 
Soon  after  the  mill  was  erected,  in  consequence  of  the  protest 
of  Judge  Leonard,  whose  land  was  flowed  by  the  mill  pond, 
the  structure  was  moved  down  stream  some  thirty-five  rods, 
to  a  spot  where  the  remains  of  the  dam  are  still  (1909)  visi- 
ble, close  to  the  bridge  of  the  railroad  from  Attleborough  to 
Taunton.  In  1788  Jonathan  Hodges  sold  the  mill,  with  the 
land,  shop,  etc.,  to  his  son,  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  who 
carried  on  the  business  until  his  death.  After  liis  decease  the 
mill  building  was  moved  near  the  highway  and  converted 
into  a  dwelling  house,  in  which  Sarah  Caswell,  the  elder 
daughter  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  lived  for  some  years 
with  her  family.  It  now  forms  a  part  of  the  ell  of  the  house 
of  Mr.  George  H.  Arnold  —  who  purchased  the  estate  in 
1851  —  its  oak  timbers  being  as  sound  and  strong  as  when 
they  were  first  hewn  more  than  a  century  and  a  half  ago. 

Woollen  cloth,  as  is  well  known,  shrinks  and  tliickens  — 
that  is,  "  fulls  "  —  when  it  is  wetted,  unless  it  has  been  pre- 
viously treated.  The  shrinking  is  hastened  if  the  wet  cloth 
is  beaten  or  pounded.  The  fulling  mill  is  a  macliine  used  for 
performing  this  operation.  It  is  employed  also  for  wasliing 
and  cleaning,  or  "  scouring,"  cloth.    Jonathan  Hodges  utilized 

(48) 


AN  OLD  NEW  ENGLANDER  CLOTHIER. 


49 


the  mill  likewise  to  "  break "  liides,  that  is,  to  moisten  and 

soften  the  hides  preparatory  to  removing  the  hair  and  tanning. 

In  the  olden  days   every  New  England  town  had  one  or 

more   of  these  mills,  which  were  so  common  that  no  one,  so 


THE   OLD    FULLING    MILL. 


far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  thought  it  worth  while  to  de- 
scribe them.  They  were  necessarily  simple  machines,  since 
they  were  made  by  the  farmer  liimself,  with  the  exception  of 
the  ironwork.     They  may  have  differed  somewhat  in  different 


50  AN  OLD  NEW  ENGLANDER  CLOTHIER. 

localities,  but  probably  were  fashioned  after  the  same  general 
pattern.  What  is  here  described  is  that  which  was  used  in 
the  town  of  Norton.  In  my  search  for  information  concern- 
ing it,  I  have  been  materially  aided  by  my  friends,  General 
Henry  C.  Hodges  of  the  United  States  Army,  retired,  Mr. 
William  H.  Tolhurst  of  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  and  Mr. 
George  O.  Kilbourne  of  San  Francisco,  California,  formerly 
of  Hydeville,  Vermont. 

The  mill  consisted  essentially  of  a  wooden  box  or  trough 
in  which  swung  to  and  fro,  alternately,  a  pair  of  wooden  ham- 
mers, as  may  be  seen  in  the  accompanying  illustration.  The 
hammer-heads  were  solid  wooden  blocks,  approximately  a 
foot  wide,  a  foot  and  a  half  high,  three  feet  long  at  the 
bottom  which  was  rounded  from  front  to  back,  and  a  foot 
and  a  half  long  at  the  top.  These  dimensions  were  more  or 
less  variable.  The  sloping  front  was  shaped  into  a  series 
of  small  horizontal  steps,  so  to  speak.  These  hammer-heads 
were  suspended  on  stout  wooden  arms  or  handles,  seven  to 
ten  feet  long  or  thereabouts,  which  were  pivoted  at  their 
top  ends,  and  were  connected  by  horizontal  pitmen,  or  con- 
necting rods,  with  a  crankshaft  which  was  actuated  by  a 
water-wheel.  The  hammer-heads  fitted  closely  into  the 
wooden  trough,  the  upper  surface  of  whose  bottom  was 
curved  to  correspond  with  the  bottom  of  the  hammer-heads. 
The  sides  of  the  trough  were  formed  by  planks,  some  of 
which  could  be  removed  for  the  convenience  of  the  work- 
man. 

The  cloth  was  saturated  with  hot  soap-suds — or  possibly 
a  solution  of  fuller's  earth  or  other  suitable  substance  —  and 
thrown  into  the  trough  in  front  of  the  slanting  faces  of  the 
hammer-heads.  As  these  heads  alternately  moved  backwards 
and  forwards,  the  cloth  was  beaten  and  tossed  about  and 
rolled  over  and  over  until  it  was  sufficiently  fulled.  Then  it 
was  taken  out  and  washed,  or  perhaps  clean  water  was  run 
into  the  trough  to  wash  it  while  the  mill  continued  its  opera- 


AN  OLD  NEW  ENGLANDER  CLOTHIER.  51 

tioii.  The  process  of  soaping  and  beating  and  washing  could 
be  repeated  if  necessary. 

The  cloth  was  then  tentered,  or  stretched  between  two 
horizontal  beams  (supported  on  vertical  posts)  to  which  it 
was  attached  by  means  of  tenterhooks,  and  left  to  dry  in  the 
air.  After  this  it  was  carded,  by  being  hung  in  a  vertical  po- 
sition and  combed  by  hand  with  a  tool  resembling  a  curry- 
comb. This  operation  raised  up  the  nap  or  loose  fibre  on  the 
surface  of  the  cloth,  which  now  was  laid  on  a  table  —  whose 
top  was  covered  by  cloth  or  padding  —  and  the  nap  clipped, 
or  sheared,  with  long  hand-shears,  so  as  to  make  a  smooth 
surface.  It  took  much  skill  to  shear  well  by  hand.  In  his 
later  years  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  used  one  of  the  early 
shearing  macliines  which  worked  the  shears  by  macliinery. 

The  final  operation  was  pressing.  The  piece  of  heated 
cloth  was  folded,  a  sheet  of  glazed  paper  being  laid  between 
each  fold,  placed  in  a  screw  press  and  subjected  to  strong 
pressure.  This  was  usually  done  twice,  the  creases  of  the 
folds  being  placed,  the  second  time,  between  the  sheets  of 
press-paper. 

When  cloth  was  dyed  in  the  piece,  this  process  seems  to 
have  been  performed  usually  after  fulling  and  before  tenter- 
ing  or  carding.  The  article  was  immersed  in  dye  solutions 
held  in  iron  or  brass  kettles  which  were  heated  with  wood  or 
charcoal. 

Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  like  his  father,  made  his  own 
dyes.  The  dyestuffs  which  he  bought  and  entered  in  his 
ledger  —  not  a  long  list  —  and  some  of  the  prices  which  he 
paid,  were  as  follows  : 

Alum,  8i  to  12^  cts.  per  lb.  Fustic,  5^  to  8J  cts.  per  lb. 

Ashes,  about  12i  cts.  per  bu.  Indigo,  $1..50  to  .'B2.2o  per  lb. 

Blue  Vitriol.  Floating  indigo,  $4.67  per  lb. 

Bran.  Lime,  75  cts.  to  $1.00  per  bu. 

Camwood,  20  cts.  per  lb.  Logwood,  3  to  8^  cts.  per  lb. 

Copperas,  5^  to  8^  cts.  per  lb.  Potash. 


52  AN  OLD  NEW  ENGLANDER  CLOTHIER. 

Redwood,  10  to  12^  cts.  per  lb.      Vinegar,  121  to  33^  cts.  per  gal. 
Sumac  bark.  Vitriol  compound,  ,S2.00  to  ^2.67 

Verdigris,  8^  cts.  per  oz.  per  lb. 

And  he  also  bought  constantly  brimstone  for  bleaching,  and 
soap  (11  to  22  cts.  per  gallon)  for  fulling. 

The  colors  which  he  produced,  some  now  rare  or  unknown, 
were :  —  black,  blue,  navy  blue,  Prussian  blue,  British  mud, 
camwood,  cinnamon,  dark  cinnamon,  crocus,  dove,  drumhead, 
fustic,  dark  fustic,  green,  bottle  green,  olive  green,  dark  olive 
green,  lead,  London  brown,  London  brown  with  camwood, 
London  smoke,  London  weed,  peach-bloom,  pearl,  red,  slate, 
smoke,  snuff,  snuff-brown,  yellow. 

The  four  following  receipts  for  dyeing  are  copied  from  a 
paper  written  by  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior. 

[1]     To  Make  a  Compound  for  Blew  And  green 

Powder  1  ounce  of  good  Spanash  flot  [float  or  floating]  Indego  fine 
Sift  it  threw  agoas  Sfie  [a  gauze  sieve]  in  a  New  arthon  Point  Mug 
[earthen  pint  mug]  ad  6  ounces  of  good  oyle  of  Vitrei  ad  1  ounce  of 
Slacked  Lyme  that  is  Not  over  Keene  Sift  your  Lyme  ad  this  Stur 
your  Compound  2  houres  this  is  fited  [fitted]  for  youce  [use]  Let 
your  mug  Be  new  [and]  Clean  frome  Nasteness. 

[2]  To  Colar  green  on  20  yards  of  thin  Cloath  or  10  of  thicke 
Scowar  your  Copper  Cleen  and  your  Winles  [windlass  ?]  ad  in  1  Barel 
of  Warter  ad  1  Pound  of  alom  ad  in  1  half  Pecke  of  Wheat  Brand 
make  your  Lyker  [liquor]  to  Boyle  then  Run  and  CooU  2  houres  then 
heve  out  your  Lyker  and  rence  your  Cloath  fill  up  as  much  Warter  as 
before  ad  3  Pound  of  forsticke  [fustic]  Boyle  this  three  houres  heve 
out  your  Chips  [of  fustic]  Let  your  Lyker  Cool  Down  then  run  your 
Cloath  then  Bring  It  to  a  Boyle  and  so  ground  up  to  a  good  Yalow 
[yellow]  To  Saden  of  [sadden  off  or  shade]  to  a  green  ad  into  your 
Dy  as  much  of  your  Compound  a  Bove  as  you  Can  hold  on  your  Stur- 
ing  [stirring]  Sticke  Stur  up  your  Dye  well  and  so  Run  and  ad  your 
Stuf  untill  you  have  got  a  good  green. 

[3]  To  Colar  a  Prushen  Blew  20  yards  of  thin  Cloath  or  10  of 
thicke  Make  1  Barel  of  Warter  Scalden  hot  ad  your  Blewen  as  in  a 
green  Dye  Worke  as  to  Saden  of  a  green  untill  you  houe  [have]  got 
yor  Colar  To  your  Mind  after  Colard  ad  one  ounce  of  Potash  ruud  in 
this  twice  and  so  Don. 


AN  OLD  NEW  ENGLANDER  CLOTHIER.  53 

[4]  To  Colar  a  Lite  Sinmon  [cinuamon]  Colar  on  20  yards  of 
thin  Cloath  or  10  yards  of  thicke  ad  1  Barel  of  Warter  ad  1  galon 
of  good  Sharpe  Vinager  run  and  Cool  in  this  2  houres  then  heve  out 
your  Lyker  ad  1  Barel  of  Warter  ad  Shewmake  [sumac]  Chips  the 
Barke  of  15  Pound  Boyle  2  houres  then  Give  up  agrownding  in  this 
Dye  after  grownding  heve  Out  your  Chips  ad  to  4  quarts  of  Lyme 
one  Pale  of  your  Lyker  Stur  up  your  Dye  after  Leting  stand  half  an 
hour  Saden  of  with  this  and  so  Don. 

The  fulling  mill  of  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  was  in  the 
rear  of  his  dwelling  house.  His  shop  was  at  the  side  of  his 
house  and  near  the  road.  The  inventory,  taken  after  Ms 
death,  of  materials  in  tliis  shop,  included  the  following 
articles : 

Clothiers  Shearing  machine $50.00 

Clothiers  Shears  .S7.00.     Clothiers  Cutting  Knife  50  cts.           .  7.50 

Clothiers  screw  &  palate              .......  15.00 

Clothiers  press  paper         ........  4.00 

one  brass  dye  kettle  .$18.00.     old  brass  kettle  .•?5.00          .         .  23.00 

one  iron  dye  kettle    .........  5.00 

Scale  &  weights  33  cts.    Shop  tongs  33  cts.     Shop  bellows  .$2.00  2.66 

Shop  desk  with  Sundry  tools     .......  3.00 

dye  wood  &  copperas         ........  5.00 

He  treated,  in  liis  mill  and  shop,  the  articles  sent  him  to 
one  or  more  of  the  processes  of  bleacliing,  scouring,  shrink- 
ing, fulling,  tentering,  dyeing,  carding,  stiffening  [silk  gowns] , 
shearing,  pressing. 

The  articles  which  came  to  liim  as  a  clotliier  for  treatment 
were  various.  They  were,  as  designated  by  him,  baize,  bear- 
skin cloth,  bed  blanketting,  chaise  lining,  cloaks,  cloak  lining, 
cloth  [ordinary  woollen  cloth],  coats,  coat  lining,  coat  pat- 
terns, coverlids,  curtains,  flannel,  fringe,  gloves,  habits 
[riding  habits],  jane  [cotton  jean],  josey  [jersey  cloth], 
kerseymere  [cassimere],  lambskin  cloth,  pantaloons,  ribbon, 
riding  hoods,  silk  gowns,  silk  veils,  skirts,  small  clothes  [knee- 
breeches],  stockings,  surtouts,  velvet,  westcoats  [waistcoats], 
westcoat  patterns,  worsted  yarn. 


Cii 


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A  SPECIMEN   OF  THE  LEDGER  OF  JONATHAN  HODGES,  JUNIOR. 

(54) 


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UP^|<\  C»     ^     Ci      Ck       i\  CJ^ 


A  SPECIMEN   OF  THE   LEDGER  OF  JONATHAN   HODGES,  JUNIOR. 

(55) 


56 


AN  OLD  NEW  ENGLANDER  CLOTHIER. 


.     2d. 

[2.8  cents] 

.     4d 

[5.(3  cents] 

6  cents 

8     " 

10     " 

12     " 

1  sh. 

[1G|  cents] 

These  articles  sometimes  were  received  and  treated  in  very 
small  amounts,  as  witness  the  following  charges  in  his  ledger: 

Dyeing  &  pressing  a  remnant 

Dyeing  &  jn-essing  a  remnant,  f  yd. 

Pressing  li  yds. 

Fnlling  and  tentering  1  yd. 

Fulling  &  pressing  1  yd. 

Shearing,  dyeing  London  brown  &  pressing  f  yds. 

Shearing,  dyeing  &  pressing  one  pair  of  gloves    . 

Shearing,  dyeing  &  pressing  one  pair  of  stockings  1  sh.  3d.  [20.8  cents] 

Shearing,  dyeing  black  &  pressing  one  pair  of  stockings     .       23  cents 

Fulling,  dyeing  &  pressing  an  old  cloak      .         ,    3  sh.  6d.  [58|  cents] 

Dyeing  black  &  stiffening  a  silk  gown         .         .     83 J  cents  and  .f  LOG 

Shearing,  dyeing  navy  blue  &  i^ressing  a  woman's  coat       .  Sl-OO 

On  the  other  hand  we  find  that  on  November  16,  1793, 
"  I  toock  in  one  hundred  &  eighteen  yds  of  Cloth  this  day  to 
Dress."     This  seems  to  have  been  a  maximum. 

The  business  was  never  run  continuously  throughout  the 
year.  More  than  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  annual  receipts  were 
taken  in  the  three  winter  months  —  November,  December  and 
January  —  when  usually  there  was  abundant  water-power. 
Sometimes  nothing  at  all  was  done  in  July  and  August,  when 
the  water  in  the  brook  ran  low  and  when  there  was  plenty  of 
farm  woik  to  be  done. 

During  the  nineteenth  century  the  clothier's  business  slowly 
declined,  and  when  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  died,  it  was 
abandoned  by  his  heirs. 


J^C^a/i  to  'JOr^  '/^ 


A   CUSTOMER  S    ORDER. 


THE  HOME  OF  A  NORTON  "GENTLE- 
MAN." 


ONATHAN  HODGES,  Junior,  was  a  man  of 
substance  who,  on  Sundays  and  at  other  appro- 
priate times,  wore  a  castor  hat,  a  broadcloth  coat, 
a  pattern-waistcoat,  knee-breeches  with  silver  knee- 
buckles,  silk  stockings,  and  shoes  adorned  with  silver  shoe- 
buckles.  He  had  two  silver  watches :  one,  No.  31245,  made 
by  George  Edwards  of  London,  wliich  he  bought  March  4, 
1799,  for  £8:8:0  ($28.00);  the  other,  No.  6260,  made  by 
Ingraham  &  Greene  of  Providence,  and  purchased  February 
18,  1807.  These,  after  his  death,  were  appraised  at  '130, 00. 
He  also  had  a  silver  snuff-box,  but  apparently  indulged  very 
sparingly  in  the  ceremonial  and  titillating  habit  of  snuff- 
taking. 

He  was  one  of  the  leading  residents  of  Norton,  held  vari- 
ous town  offices,  and  often  declined  office.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent church-member,  an  earnest  friend  and  admirer  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Clarke,  and  owned  a  corner  pew  in  the  church  —  the 
fourth  on  the  right  from  the  pulpit  —  one  seat  in  which  he 
usually  rented  for  one  dollar  a  year.  His  appraisers  con- 
sidered the  pew  worth  fifty  dollars.  He  was  for  years  captain 
of  one  of  the  infantry  companies  of  Norton,  resigning  his 
commission  in  1801,  and  selling  his  espontoon  (or  spontoon) 
for  two  dollars  to  Ensign  Asa  Arnold  (of  whose  military 
office  the  weapon  was  still  emblematic),  and  his  uniform  coat 
for  five  dollars.  As  an  officer  he  had  carried  the  noted  silver- 
hilted  sword  of  his  grandfather,  Major  Joseph  Hodges,  pajdng 

(57) 


58       THE  HOME  OF  A  NORTON  "GENTLEMAN." 

to  his  cousin  Captain  Joseph  Hodges,  for  the  use  of  it, 
seventy-five  cents  yearly.  After  resigning  office  he  kept  up 
his  active  interest  in  the  militia,  and  always  attended  the 
"  trainings,"  taking  his  small  sons  with  him. 

After  the  Revolutionary  War  the  military  spirit  waned  in 
the  New  England  towns,  and  it  was  only  through  the  efforts 
of  certain  earnest  individuals  that  the  militia  organizations 
were  continued.  When  the  Revolution  broke  out  in  France 
in  1789,  the  martial  spirit  began  to  revive,  and  from  the  time 
of  the  Napoleonic  wars,  especially  from  the  declaration  of 
war  with  England  in  1812,  until  the  return  of  peace  in  1815, 
very  many  of  the  young  men  of  Norton  were  disposed  to  join 
the  militia.  "In  1812  [wrote  Almon  D.  Hodges]  the  young 
men  were  called  upon  to  enlist  in  the  regiments  which  in- 
vaded Canada;  some  did  enlist  from  tliis  town,  but  these 
were  not  the  most  useful  or  the  best.  Of  those  who  were  in 
the  invading  army  not  one  returned,  so  far  as  I  can  recollect ; 
they  all  died  of  sickness  or  were  killed  in  battle." 

Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  matured  early.  When  sixteen 
years  old,  he  was  in  the  Continental  Army ;  before  he  was  of 
age,  he  was  owner  of  real  estate  ;  before  he  had  reached  his 
thirty-first  year,  he  was  ranked  as  a  "  gentleman."  Before  he 
married,  he  possessed  at  least  two  dozen  acres  of  land  which 
he  farmed,  and  a  fulling-mill  and  clothier's  shop  which  he 
operated  with  his  own  untiring  hands.  Every  year  or  two 
he  added  to  his  real-estate  holdings.  The  first  lot  of  land 
which  he  sold  was  the  first  which  he  bought,  and  this  he  had 
held  for  twenty-seven  years.  It  was  only  one-half  acre,  for 
which  he  paid  twenty-four  shillings  (four  dollars)  in  1783, 
selling  it  for  twenty-two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  in  1810. 

His  home  farm  was  in  the  south  part  of  Norton,  between 
two  and  three  miles  from  the  Centre  where  the  church  stood. 
When  he  bought  tliis  farm  of  his  father  in  1788,  with  the 
fulling-mill  and  the  shop,  it  contained  fourteen  acres,  which 
were  gradually  increased  to  about  forty-three  acres.     Here  he 


MAP  OF  A  PART  OF   NORTON. 


(59) 


60       THE  HOME  OF  A  NORTON  "GENTLEMAN." 

lived  with  his  wife  and  five  children  and,  usually,  an  appren- 
tice. Quite  often  he  rented  two  rooms  in  his  house  for  a 
dollar  a  month ;  and  sometimes  he  took  a  boarder  who  paid 
for  his  meals  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  to  a  dollar  and  a  tliird 
per  week.  He  and  his  wife  were  hospitable  souls  and  fond 
of  their  kin ;  hence  frequent  visitors  were  entertained  by 
them  —  how  pleasantly  is  indicated  by  the  following  letter 
addressed  to  Capt.  Jonathan  Hodges,  Norton :  — 

Norton  Sunday  DeC  30'^  1804 

The  Most  Worthy  &  the  best  of  Friends 

Be  not  Surprised  at  my  takeing  the  liberty  to  write  so  soon  after 
conversing  with  you  for  it  is  to  give  vent  to  a  heart  overflowing 
wdth  friendship.  The  attentions  you  paid  myself  &  others  while 
at  your  House  last  week  deserves  the  notice  of  every  person 
present.  H.  Walker  [whom  the  writer  married  two  years  later] 
was  so  much  deverted  that  she  sayd  had  her  mother  ben  at  home 
she  would  have  staid  1  week  —  you  must  except  of  our  thanks 
for  I  fear  it  will  never  be  in  our  power  to  give  you  that  pleasure 
&  Satisfaction  which  we  have  enjoyed. 

Without  a  Friend  the  World  is  but  a  wilderness.  Therefore  I 
beg  for  the  continuance  of  yonr  friendships.  And  as  I  am  young 
Shall  often  call  on  you  for  advise.     *     *     *     * 

It  is  almost  meeting  time  so  I  must  take  my  leave  of  you.  So 
remember  me  your  old  Friend 

Asa  Danforth. 

The  house,  wliich  apparently  must  have  been  a  two-story 
edifice,  stood  beside  Goose  Brook,  close  to  the  road  leading 
from  Taunton.  It  was  still  in  excellent  condition  (so  Mr. 
George  H.  Arnold  stated)  when  it  was  taken  down  by  Jona- 
than Hodges,  about  1850,  and  the  material  used  in  erecting  a 
new  building  in  Taunton.  It  contained  no  stoves,  but  only 
open  fireplaces  —  each  with  its  pair  of  iron  dogs,  its  hand- 
bellows  and  its  shovel  and  tongs  —  and  a  brick  oven  in  the 
kitchen. 


THE  HOME  OF  A  NORTON  "GENTLEMAN."       61 

The  inventory  of  the  estate,  taken  shortly  after  the  owner's 
death,  informs  us  that  Jonathan  Hodges,  gentleman,  left  real 
estate  appraised  at  $2,498 ;  cash,  $87.60 ;  notes,  34  in  num- 
ber, $846.41 ;  other  personal  property,  $873.69 ;  total  ap- 
praised value,  $4,305.70.  A  few  articles  which  he  owned  do 
not  appear  in  this  inventory,  and  the  appraised  values  were 
low,  in  some  cases  at  least. 

In  the  house,  according  to  the  inventory,  there  were  five 
bedsteads,  each  with  its  feather-bed,  its  thick  blanket,  its 
woollen  (flannel)  sheet,  besides  cotton  and  linen  sheets  and 
pillow-cases.  There  were  also  two  bed-quilts  and  one  bed- 
spread, the  latter  evidently  for  the  use  of  guests.  The  five 
bedsteads  with  bedding  were  located :  two  in  "  the  chamber," 
two  in  "  the  back  room,"  and  one  in  "  the  bedroom,"  which 
was  perhaps  the  guest-room.  How  the  family  of  seven  (or 
eight,  counting  the  apprentice)  was  distributed  at  night  in 
these  five  beds  —  one  of  which  may  have  been  reserved  for 
the  visitor  —  is  not  recorded.  To  be  sure  there  was  certainly 
a  trundle-bed  which  did  not  appear  in  the  inventory. 

There  were  two  desks  and  two  looking-glasses.  There 
were  twenty-eight  chairs  of  various  descrij)tions,  indicating 
appreciated  hospitality.  There  were  a  candle-stand  and  seven 
iron  candlesticks  for  holding  the  home-made  candles  which 
were  the  only  means  of  lighting  the  rooms  at  night,  when  the 
firelight  did  not  suffice.  There  were  "  4  tow  towels,"  wliich 
were  probably  roller-towels,  apparently  one  in  operation  at  a 
time  near  the  kitchen  sink.  As  cleanliness  was  insisted  upon 
by  the  parents,  these  towels  must  have  undergone  very  fre- 
quent washings.  Luckily  these  homespun  materials  were 
exceedingly  durable.  However,  it  is  very  possible  that  the 
appraisers  made  note  only  of  the  brand  new  towels — they 
were  valued  at  twelve  and  a  half  cents  each  —  and  took  no 
cognizance  of  those  which  had  been  used.  And  Mrs.  Hodges 
owned  various  articles  of  utility  and  ornament  not  named  in 
this  inventory. 


62       THE  HOME  OF  A  NORTON  "GENTLEMAN." 

Of  tlie  table  furniture,  the  teapots,  cups  and  saucers  were 
of  block  tin.  The  plates,  platters,  jugs,  bowls  and  mugs 
were  of  pewter  and  of  earthenware.  The  spoons  and  tum- 
blers for  everyday  use  were  of  pewter.  For  festal  occasions 
there  were  glass  tumblers  and  decanters,  half  a  dozen  silver- 
plated  table-spoons,  six  silver  tea-spoons,  and  one  silver  sugar- 
tongs.  Very  likely  the  one  souiD-dish,  the  two  butter-boats, 
the  salt-dishes  and  mustard  cups,  were  used  only  occasion- 
ally. 

The  wearing  apparel  of  the  deceased  was  appraised  at 
seventeen  dollars ;  evidently  some  of  it  was  going  out  of 
fashion.  There  were  four  kinds  of  cloth  mentioned  :  cotton 
cloth,  tow  cloth,  flannel  cloth  and  broad-cloth ;  and  three 
kinds  of  leather :  calfskin,  upper  leather  and  sole  leather. 

There  were  a  "  foot-wheel "  for  spinning  flax,  two  "  great 
wheels  "  for  spinning  wool,  and  a  loom. 

In  the  shop,  besides  the  clothier's  apparatus  named  on  a 
preceding  page,  there  was  a  kit  of  carpenter's  tools  ;  also  one 
of  slioemaker's  tools  —  for  Jonathan  was  a  Jack-of-all-trades, 
like  the  majority  of  his  countrymen,  and  besides  tilling  his 
farm  and  occasionally  helping  his  neighbors  till  theirs,  tinker- 
ing his  fences,  buildings  and  farming  implements,  and  dress- 
ing cloth,  did  quite  a  business  in  making  and  repairing  the 
boots  and  shoes  of  the  men,  women  and  children  of  the 
vicinity.  He,  like  other  New  England  "gentlemen"  of  that 
day,  although  distinguished  by  the  possession  of  a  chaise  in 
which  to  ride  with  one  other  person,  and  also  a  "horse- 
wagon  "  in  which  to  carry  the  whole  family  to  church  or  to 
make  a  visit  —  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  possessed 
neither  —  and  although  holding  high  social  and  official  posi- 
tion in  town,  believed  in  the  "  nobility  of  labor,"  and  was 
ever  willing  to  perform  any  task  whereby  he  could  help  his 
neighbor  and  increase  the  family  income. 

The  inventor}'  mentions  only  two  books :  two  Bibles  valued 
at  one  dollar  each.     But  there  were  other  volumes  belonging 


THE  HOME  OF  A  NORTON  "GENTLEMAN."       63 

to  the  family  —  a  dictionary,  almanacs,  primers  and  spelling- 
books,  as  the  account  books  show. 

That  Jonathan  Hodges,  Junior,  was  kind-hearted  and  gen- 
erous in  his  business  dealings  is  shown  by  several  entries  in 
his  ledger,  one  of  which  reads  thus :  — 

March  5,  1811.  James  Balkcom  Cr. 

by  your  being  unfortenate £0-6-0. 

If  Solomon,  the  son  of  David,  King  of  Israel,  was  not  mis- 
taken, then  the  Hodges  tribe  of  New  England  has  ever  been 
better  than  the  mighty,  for  it  has  always  been  slow  to  anger. 
Yet  never  has  there  occurred  an  important  fight,  involving 
principles,  without  some  of  the  family  taking  an  active  part. 
This  Norton  gentleman,  being  a  Hodges  and  living  at  the 
proper  time,  had  been  accordingly  a  Revolutionary  soldier, 
and  the  record  of  his  service,  or  a  part  of  it,  is  to  be  found  in 
the  Massachusetts  ArcMves  in  the  papers  labelled  Revolution- 
ary Rolls.  In  August  and  September,  1779,  he  served  in 
Rhode  Island  under  Captain  Enoch  Robinson.  The  next 
year,  in  July,  he  volunteered  for  six  months'  service  in  the 
Continental  Army,  and  was  sent  to  New  York  State,  being 
(according  to  the  descriptive  roll)  17  years  of  age,  5  feet 
10  inches  in  stature,  and  of  ruddy  complexion.  He  was 
stationed  at  West  Point  at  the  time  of  the  treachery  of 
Benedict  Arnold.  In  1781  he  served  again  in  Rhode  Island. 
He  may  have  performed  other  military  service,  for  the  Revolu- 
tionary Rolls  are  known  to  be  incomplete,  and  he  was  a  man 
who,  having  put  his  hand  to  the  plough,  was  not  apt  to  look 
back ;  but  documentary  proof  is  lacking. 


THE   OLD   COUNTRY   SCHOOL.* 


'he  first  recollection  wliich  I  have  of  my  own 
existence  is  of  my  being  at  work  with  a  hammer 
upon  the  wheels  of  a  carriage  of  Ephraim  Ray- 
mond, a  neighbor  of  my  father,  in  his  carriage 
house.  In  tliis  building  Miss  Catherine  M.  Raymond  kept  a 
school  for  small  children.  It  was  in  the  summer  of  1803, 
when  I  was  two  and  a  half  years  old.  I  must  have  been  sent 
here  with  my  sisters,  in  order  not  to  be  in  the  way  of  the 
household  labor,  and  at  the  same  time  to  be  well  cared  for. 
Miss  Raymond  afterwards  married  Elijah  Mears,  and  moved 
to  Boston  where  she  died  February  16,  1867.  She  ever  re- 
mained a  dear  friend  to  me,  and  during  my  apprentice  days 
in  Boston,  treated  me  with  most  affectionate  hospitality. 

Thereafter  I  probably  went  to  school  every  summer.  I  cer- 
tainly attended  the  Third  District  School  in  the  summers  of 
1806  to  1809,  and  from  1808  to  1815  in  the  winters.  And 
whenever  the  school  in  No.  4  District  kept  after  the  end  of 
the  winter  term  of  No.  3,  I  went  tliither  also. 

*  Compiled  from  an  Address  delivered  by  A.  D.  Hodges  to  the  scholars 
of  the  Third  District  School  in  Norton,  on  Thursday  evening,  May  29, 
1856;  from  his  Recollections  of  My  Childhood;  and  from  various  entries 
in  his  Journal. 

Father  was  always  much  interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  his 
native  place,  and  had  a  particularly  strong  fondness  for  his  old  school  in 
the  Third  District.  After  leaving  Norton  he  was  ever  ready  to  go  back 
there  to  attend  the  school  exhibitions,  and  several  times  in  his  early 
manhood  he  took  part  in  them.  During  his  later  years  it  was  his  custom 
to  make  an  annual  visit  to  the  school,  taking  prizes  for  the  scholars,  and 
usually  making  a  short  speech  in  which  he  generally  gave  a  specimen  of 
the  manner  of  reciting  pieces  in  the  old  days. 

(64) 


THE   OLD   COUNTRY   SCHOOL.  65 

The  school-house  in  No.  3  was  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from 
our  residence,  but  it  was  a  most  unusual  storm  which  could 
keep  me  and  my  brothers  at  home.  We  always  went  on  foot, 
but  now  and  then  when  the  snow  was  very  deep,  mother  came 
with  horse  and  sleigh,  to  our  great  delight,  and  carried  us 
home. 

In  that  old  school-house  there  were  enacted  scenes  which 
are  to  my  memory  very  dear.  Many,  very  many  years  have 
rolled  on  since  I  heard  the  old  building  ring  with  the  happy 
peals  of  youthful  glee ;  yet  the  old  scenes  of  childish  sports 
and  merry  meetings  are  constantly  coming  up  in  my  imagina- 
tion, brilliant  shadows  of  by-gone  days.  I  love  to  review 
those  scenes  over  and  over  again. 

On  the  first  day  of  each  term  the  scholars  chose  their  seats 
in  the  order  of  their  arrival  at  school  in  the  morning,  the  first- 
comers  thus  obtaining  the  best  seats.  For  several  years 
brothers  Jonathan  and  Newton  and  I,  on  the  first  morning, 
left  home  at  four  o'clock  and  were  the  first  on  the  field,  ex- 
cept one  year  only,  when  a  neighbor's  son  preceded  us ;  but 
even  then,  as  his  choice  differed  from  ours,  we  secured  the 
places  which  we  desired. 

The  school  terms  were  from  two  to  three  months  in  length. 
Each  district  drew  for  school  purposes  from  the  town  treasury 
as  much  money  as  was  assessed  on  the  polls  and  estates  within 
its  limits,  and  thus  the  richest  district  obtained  the  most  school 
money  and  could  hold  the  longest  term.  Father  probably  paid 
extra  for  his  children's  tuition,  as  we  attended  school  sometimes 
both  in  winter  and  in  summer,  and  certain  winters  had  in- 
struction in  two  districts. 

In  the  summer  of  1807  [seemingly  an  error  for  1806]  Molly 
Woodward  was  the  presiding  genius  of  our  school,  placed 
there  to  teach  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot.  Then  followed 
Miss  Peddy  Foster,  a  good  instructress  and  a  brave  girl.  You 
will  allow  that  she  was  brave,  when  I  tell  you  of  an  occur- 
rence here.     The  old  school-house  attic  must  have  been  the 


66        THE  OLD  COUNTRY  SCHOOL. 

abode  of  certain  inhabitants  with  tlie  form  and  feature  which 
tempted  that  time-honored  old  hidy,  Mother  Eve.  For  well 
do  I  remember,  when  we  were  quietly  conning  our  lessons  one 
summer  afternoon,  how  there  suddenly  arose  a  loud  shriek 
from  the  little  ones  on  the  front  seats,  and  a  great  ugly  house- 
adder  came  ]3oking  his  rueful  visage  down  between  the  ceil- 
ing and  the  cliimney,  directly  over  the  fireplace,  apparently 
examining  the  school  and  looking  around  among  the  small 
scholars  for  a  tit-bit  for  his  dinner.  But  our  brave  school- 
mistress seized  the  monster  with  the  firetongs  and  wound  him 
up  as  he  descended ;  and  when  his  whole  coil  had  emerged 
from  his  hiding  place,  she  thrashed  the  life  out  of  him  upon 
the  hearth. 

The  next  instructress  was  Miss  Phebe  Kelton,  who  taught 
us  during  the  summer  terms  of  1808  and  1809.  She  was  of 
notable  beauty  and  grace,  and  was  universally  beloved.  My 
very  strong  attachment  to  her  has  ever  been  a  mystery  to  me. 
I  revere  her  memory  to  this  day. 

Master  Thomas  Braman,  Junior,  taught  during  the  winter 
terms  from  1808  to  1816  or  1817,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year.  He  had  received  a  collegiate  education  at  Brown  Uni- 
versity and  was  an  excellent  teacher,  wholly  devoted  to  the 
faithful  performance  of  his  duties  to  his  scholars.  He  began 
his  tasks  early  on  Monday  mornings  and  continued  them 
every  day  well  into  the  evening,  even  on  Saturdays  teaching 
so  long  as  there  was  daylight.  Appearing  betimes  at  the 
school-house  every  morning,  he  made  the  fire,  swept  the  room, 
prepared  the  writing  books  and  other  materials,  and  was  ready 
to  give  instruction  to  the  first  urcliin  who  presented  himself, 
no  matter  how  early  the  hour. 

It  was  his  custom,  at  the  beginning  of  each  term,  to  open 
his  school  with  an  address  which,  for  beauty  of  diction,  depth 
of  thought  and  adaptation  to  the  capacity  of  his  hearers,  has 
not  been  often  excelled  by  men  much  better  known  to  fame. 
His  speech  to  the  school  at  the  end  of  the  term  was  also  de- 


THE   OLD    COUNTRY   SCHOOL.  67 

livered  in  a  familiar,  pleasant  and  effective  manner  and  tone 
of  voice  which  went  direct  to  the  heart,  and  often  caused 
many  a  tear  to  trickle  down  the  cheeks  of  his  attentive 
pupils. 

Master  Braman  had  a  peculiar  gift  of  making  his  scholars 
love  him  and  also  fear  him,  without  liis  being  unnecessarily 
severe.  He  seldom  inflicted  corporal  punishment,  although 
tliis  mode  of  treatment  was  much  more  common  then  than  at 
present.  Yet  he  considered  it  necessary,  and  indeed  health- 
ful, to  use  the  ferule  occasionally.  Distinctly  do  I  remem- 
ber the  appearance  of  tliis  instrument,  to  which  we  gave 
the  nickname  of  Master  Braman's  Old  Reformative  Soup 
Ladle.  By  the  small  scholars  it  was  much  dreaded,  although 
I  believe  it  never  reached  them.  It  seldom  came  out  of  his 
desk,  but  when  it  did,  it  was  sure  to  do  execution.  Master 
Braman  was  not  the  man  to  promise  without  performing ; 
and  when  he  went  through  the  performance,  it  was  generally, 
in  the  language  of  the  play-house,  with  unbounded  applause. 
There  was  one  boy,  only  one,  who  pretended  he  did  not  fear 
it.  His  pretensions  were  probably  feigned,  for  he  was  intro- 
duced to  the  instrument  more  frequently  than  any  other 
scholar.  It  was  the  custom  of  Master  Braman  to  add  one 
more  blow  each  time  a  punishment  was  repeated.  Tom,  be- 
ginning with  one,  reached,  I  think,  the  number  of  ten  and 
then  took  a  vacation  —  declaring  that  if  this  was  the  way 
Master  Braman  was  going  on  with  him,  he  rather  thought  he 
would  proclaim  his  education  completed. 

There  was  a  tradition  among  the  scholars  of  my  day  that  in 
times  past,  not  very  remote,  only  one  school  book  was  known 
(with  perhaps  the  exception  of  the  New  Testament),  and 
that  book  was  an  almanac ;  when  the  boys  had  committed 
that  to  memory,  they  considered  themselves  "  learnt  out " 
and  left  school.  We  prided  ourselves  on  our  advance  over 
the  almanac-days,  for  at  the  very  beginning  of  Master 
Braman's  tuition  we  had  several  books. 


68  TITE   OLD   COUNTRY   SCHOOL. 

There  was  Jedediah  Morse's  Geography,  mth  a  pair  of 
wood-cuts  supposed  to  be  maps ;  one  resembled  more  than 
anjthing  else  a  pair  of  overworked  cartwheels,  and  the  other 
looked  like  an  old-fashioned  gridiron  half  covered  with  an 
overdone  beefsteak.  The  book  contained,  however,  one  piece 
of  information  Avhich  impressed  us.  It  told  how  to  cure  the 
bite  of  a  rattlesnake. 

We  had  Alexander's  Grammar,  which  we  travelled  through 
with  expedition.  When  we  had  learned  to  parse  a  sentence 
correctly,  we  considered  that  we  knew  all  about  the  construc- 
tion of  the  English  language.  We  had  Alden's  Spelling 
Book,  first  and  second  parts,  and  the  English  Reader. 
Master  Braman  drilled  his  pupils  carefully  in  reading,  teach- 
ing them  to  speak  clearly  with  proper  pronunciation  and 
emphasis. 

At  the  end  of  every  winter  t^rm  we  had  an  examination, 
or  exhibition,  which  was  made  a  grand  occasion.  For  this 
there  was  great  preparation,  and  the  whole  school  was  put 
througii  a  series  of  careful  rehearsals.  Some  of  the  best 
scholars  were  allowed  to  read  or  recite  pieces,  and  he  was 
considered  a  favored  pupil  who  was  permitted  to  speak  (from 
Abner  Alden's  Reader)  "  The  Grumbling  Clown,"  or  "  The 
Soliloquy  of  Dick  the  Apprentice."  Best  of  all  was  "  The 
Jew's  Revenge "  —  Shylock's  speech  in  the  Merchant  of 
Venice.  Tlie  parents,  friends  and  neighbors  flocked  to  these 
examinations,  whose  success  was  made  perfect  when  good  old 
Parson  Clarke  came  and  delivered  one  of  his  delightful  ad- 
dresses which  made  every  man,  woman  and  child  happy  — 
pleased  with  themselves  and  with  everybody  else. 

During  the  winter  term  of  1812-13,  to  the  grief  of  the 
scholars.  Master  Braman  was  unable  to  come  to  us,  and  a 
new  teacher  was  engaged  —  a  student  of  Brown  University. 
He  was  probably  well  qualified  ii>  most  respects,  but  it  was 
voted  unanimously  by  the  pupils,  both  girls  and  boys,  that 
"he  was  not  Master  Braman."     He  certainly  was  not  Mastei; 


THE  OLD  COUNTRY  SCHOOL.        69 

Braman's  equal  in  inspiring  respect  or  judiciously  enforcing 
discipline.  But  things  went  quite  smoothly  until  near  the 
end  of  the  term.  Then  all  at  once  our  sky  was  darkened  by 
a  violent  tempest. 

A  new  boy  named  Volum  came  to  our  school  this  winter. 
He  had  reached  the  age  of  sixteen  years  and  was  of  remark- 
ably strong  physique  ;  but  mentally  he  was  not  bright  —  was 
considered  as  not  up  to  the  mark  in  this  respect  by  the  other 
boys  who,  whatever  they  might  be  themselves,  required  a 
pretty  liigh  standard  in  any  neiv  boy.  Moreover  he  was  in- 
dolent and  inattentive,  and  hence  frequently  received  the 
serious  attentions  of  the  teacher,  which,  up  to  this  time,  he 
had  not  forcibly  resented. 

One  morning,  in  addition  to  other  misdemeanors,  he  amused 
himself  by  reflecting  the  sun's  rays  about  the  schoolroom  with 
a  jDiece  of  broken  glass.  The  teacher,  discovering  this,  seized 
the  pupil  by  the  foretop  and  began  rapping  his  head  against 
the  wall.  Volum  endured  this,  as  he  afterwards  said,  until 
he  saw  stars  shooting  about  in  various  directions.  Then, 
shouting  in  tones  which  outrivalled  those  of  the  greatest 
tragedians,  "  Let  me  alone  or  I'll  draw  upon  you,  ye  villain  !  " 
he  drove  his  sledge-hammer  fist  into  the  pit  of  his  preceptor's 
stomach. 

A  bomb  exploding  among  us  could  hardly  have  caused 
greater  consternation.  The  master  seized  Volum  by  the  coat- 
collar,  Volum  grappled  with  the  master,  and  a  rough  and 
tumble  fight  ensued.  Soon  it  was  apparent  that  the  master 
was  weakening  and  using  his  utmost  efforts  to  shake  off  his 
■  antagonist  who  grappled  the  tighter.  But  as  the  two  bodies 
revolved  about  the  room,  by  chance  the  pupil's  head  came  in 
.violent  contact  with  the  large  projecting  iron  door-catch. 
With  the  crash  and  the  spurting  of  blood,  the  contest  ended 
abruptly.  The  affair  was  unfortunate  for  both  parties.  The 
scholar  never  came  to  school  again,  and  the  teacher  very  soon 
left  the  town. 


70        THE  OLD  COUNTRY  SCHOOL. 

My  last  term  at  the  Third  District  School  was  the  one  held 
in  the  closing  months  of  1815.  The  time  had  then  come  for 
me  to  cease  play  and  begin  serious  work.  But  I  have  always 
held  tlie  old  place  in  loving  remembrance,  and  since  leaving 
Norton  it  has  been  my  good  luck  to  be  able  to  participate  a 
couple  of  times  in  the  school  exliibitions  with  some  of  my 
old  schoolmates. 

The  first  time  occurred  in  February,  1821,  when  I  was 
living  in  Boston.  On  the  sixth  day  of  that  month,  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  started  on  foot  from  Boston  for 
Norton,  one  hour  ahead  of  the  stage  which  overtook  me  at 
Savage's  tavern  in  Stoughton,  and  from  there  carried  me  to 
the  place  near  Uncle  Copeland's  house  in  Norton,  whence  I 
had  to  walk  about  four  miles  to  my  mother's. 

Brother  Newton  and  some  of  the  scholars  of  our  old  school 
had  arranged  for  a  grand  exhibition  at  the  end  of  the  term. 
He  and  I,  with  Charles  Grossman,  David  Arnold,  Isaac  Bur- 
dick  [Aldrich  ?] ,  Mary  Horton,  Nancy  Arnold,  Polly  Arnold 
and  others,  fitted  up  the  hall  in  Asa  Arnold's  tavern,  near  the 
old  school-house,  for  the  performance.  We  built  a  stage,  with 
side  and  back  scenes,  and  provided  a  curtain  which  was  rolled 
up  by  cords  and  pulleys.  The  curtain  was  borrowed  from 
my  mother.  It  was  her  best  counterpane  from  her  best  bed, 
and  answered  our  purpose  nicely.  We  worked  hard  to  pre- 
pare ourselves,  and  we  had  much  enjoyment  while  so  doing. 

On  the  evening  of  February  13,  Arnold  Hall  was  crowded 
with  "  the  beauty  and  fashion  "  of  this  part  of  the  town,  to 
witness  the  performance,  the  programme  of  which  I  have  pre- 
served.    (See  following  page). 

I  spoke,  in  the  character  of  a  country  bumpkin,  the  Prologue 
which  was  about  twenty  lines  long.     It  began : 

So  here  we  are  at  Arnold's  Hall  from  country  round, 
Come  to  see  some  fun,  I'll  bet  five  pound  ; 
And  if  you're  disappointed,  'tis  a  pity, 
Since  we  have  tried  as  slick  as  —  hity. 


THE  OLD  COUNTRY  SCHOOL.        71 

The  last  line  read : 

And  we'll  pack  up  all,  and  whistle  Home  Again. 

SCHOOL     EXHIBITION 

On   Tuesdciy  Evening  vnll  he  performed  a  lilay  called 

MY  AUNT 

Dashall A.  D.  Hodges        3frs.  Cobbet . . .  Miss  Mary  Horton 

Frederick I.  Aldrich        Emma Miss  N.  Arnold 

Battle ]Sr.  S.  Hodges 

Soberlove D.  Arnold 

To  which  will  be  added  an  Interlude  Extract  from 

THREE  WEEKS  AFTER  MARRIAGE 

Charles  Backet A.  D.  Hodges 

Lady  Backet Miss  M.  Horton 

The  tohole  to  conclude  with  the  farce  called 

THE   WAGS   OF   WINDSOE 

Deputy  Bull I.  Braman  Grace  Gaylove. Miss  Mary  Horton 

Loney  Mactotvtler.  A.  D.  Hodges        Lucy Miss  N.  Arnold 

John  Lump N.  S.  Hodges        Martha Miss  S.  Arnold 

Capt.  Beaugard. .  C.  L.  Grossman 

Dubbs D.  Arnold 

Caleb   Quotem A.  D.  Hodges 

In  the  course  of  the  joi'ece  the  Songs  of 

Novel  Beading  O By  Caleb  Quotem 

Parish  Clerk Do.         Do. 


72  THE   OLD   COUNTRY    SCHOOL. 

The  performance  went  off  with  great  eclat.  Everybody 
appeared  to  be  much  pleased  with  the  entertainment ;  particu- 
Lirly  so  were  the  actors  and  actresses. 

Tlie  last  time  I  posed  as  an  actor  at  a  Norton  school  exhib- 
ition was  when  I  was  entering  into  business  at  Providence. 
I  had  previousl}^  promised  the  master  of  the  Centre  School, 
Alvin  Perry,  to  assist  his  pupils  in  getting  up  some  plays  at 
the  end  of  the  school  term,  and  when  the  time  came,  although 
I  was  exceedingly  busy,  I  felt  bound  to  keep  my  promise. 

Mr.  Perry  had  fitted  up  Wood's  Hall  with  a  well-arranged 
stage,  with  side  scenes,  rolling  curtains,  etc.,  and  on  the  even- 
ing of  April  16,  1823,  a  large  audience  assembled.  The  bill 
announced : 

A  Favorite  Play  in   Two  Acts,  called 

foktu:ne's  frolic. 

To   Conclude  with  the  Laughable  Farce  of 
THE   SPOILED   CHILD. 

I  took  the  part  of  Robin  Roughhead  in  the  former,  and  of 
Tagg  in  the  latter  play,  and  spoke  a  prologue  which  I  found 
in  one  of  Garrick's  old  play-books.  My  associates  were  my 
brother,  Newton  S.  Hodges,  Miss  Lurana  W.  Lane  (afterwards 
Mrs.  Newton  S.  Hodges),  my  cousins,  Thomas  M.,  Mary  J., 
and  Edward  R.  Danforth,  and  other  members  of  the  school. 

It  was  a  most  enjoyable  occasion.  But  1  was  under  a 
stress  of  business,  and  resolved  that  tliis  must  be  my  last 
appearance  on  any  stage. 


A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S  EVERYDAY  LIFE.* 

'';^T  was  perhaps  in  1804,  when  I  was  about  three 
^     years  old,  that  I  went  with  my  mother  to  the 


funeral  of  Mr.  Alien,!  who  died  in  the  next  house 
to  ours,  —  the  residence  of  my  uncle,  George 
Hodges.  My  mother  lifted  me  up  so  that  I  could  look  into 
the  casket.  From  what  I  saw,  I  concluded  that  death  was  a 
deep  sleep  with  a  part  of  the  body  left  of  the  dead  man, — 
that  part  which  was  visible  in  the  coffin.  And  curious  ques- 
tions arose  in  my  mind.  What  was  it  to  die?  Why  were  all 
these  people  collected  together?  Why  was  a  part  of  a  man 
to  be  put  in  the  ground  ?  Why  was  he  carried  away  from 
his  home  and  his  family  ?    It  seemed  a  confused  mystery. 

Many  times  during  my  early  childhood  the  question  of  real 
existence  came  up  for  settlement.  Was  this  really  myself  or 
was  it  somebody  else  ?  This  appeared  an  important  question. 
I  often  tried  the  pinching  process  to  see  if  it  was  really  I,  and 
this  generally  decided  the  matter. 

A  couple  of  years  after  Mr.  Allen's  funeral  we  lost  by 
death  a  near  and  dear  neighbor,  the  wife  of  Captain  Elisha 
Grossman.  I  think  my  mother  nursed  her  during  a  great  part 
of  her  sickness,  the  fatal  result  of  which  caused  a  sensation 
in  our  neighborhood,  where  every  one  appeared  to  feel  that 
he  had  lost  a  loving  friend.  I  attended  the  funeral  and 
recollect  the  prayer  of  Rev.  Mr.  Clarke.  I  remember  how 
the  husband  wept  as  he  took  his  last  look  at  his  departed 


*  From  the  MS.  of  A.  D.  Hodges. 

t  Lewis  Allen  died  September  9,  1803.     This  is  the  only  Allen  death 
at  this  period  registered  in  the  Norton  vital  records. 

(73) 


74         A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S  EVERY-DAY  LIFE. 

wife,  and  I  wondered.  "  Why  did  he  cry  so  ?  "  I  asked  my 
mother,  "  she  was  not  his  mother.'^  At  the  age  of  five  or  six 
I  thonght  it  singular  that  one  should  grieve  so  deex^ly  for  a 
wife. 

When  about  four  years  old,  I  suffered  from  a  fever  or  some 
similar  sickness.  One  Veil-remembered  night  seemed  to  me 
extraordinarily  long,  —  so  long  that  I  asked  my  mother,  who 
was  sitting  up  with  me,  if  two  nights  had  not  come  together. 
She,  probably  not  understanding  my  question,  or  perhaps 
being  only  partially  awake,  answered  simply  "  Yes."  And 
for  years  I  was  possessed  with  the  idea  that  two  nights  had 
really  come  together. 

A  truer  natural  phenomenon,  which  strongly  impressed  me 
about  this  period,  was  the  total  eclipse  of  the  sun  in  June, 
1806.  I  recollect  as  though  but  j^esterday  the  strange  ap- 
pearance of  the  atmosphere,  the  peculiar  glimmer  or  shadow 
on  the  ground,  the  twilight,  the  fowls  going  to  roost,  and 
cattle  coming  in  from  the  pastures,  and  also  the  great  demand 
for  smoked  glass.  I  recollect  also  that  Benajah  Tucker  and 
his  family  occupied  a  part  of  our  house  at  this  time.  My 
father  often  rented  a  couple  of  rooms.  Some  years  later  Elias 
Cobb  and  his  wife  and  small  son  lived  with  us.  Mrs.  Cobb 
was  subject  to  fits,  during  which  she  would  groan  and  scream. 
In  the  beginning  I  was  greatly  alarmed  by  her  cries,  which 
frequently  roused  me  from  deep  sleep,  but  very  soon  I  grew 
accustomed  to  them ;  and  so  soon  as  I  became  aware  that  "  it 
was  only  Mrs.  Cobb,"  I  fell  asleep  again. 

I  well  remember  the  day  long  famous  in  New  England  as 
"the  cold  Friday  "  — January  19,  1810  —  when  there  was  a 
remarkable  change  of  temperature.  An  account  from  Ports- 
mouth, Rhode  Island,  was  to  the  effect  that  the  thermometer 
there  at  noon  on  Thursday  stood  at  42  degrees  above  freezing 
point,  and  at  noon  on  Friday  at  12  degrees  below  zero,  a  dif- 
ference of  86  degrees  in  24  hours  —  very  likely  an  exaggera- 
tion.    A  Boston  paper  made  a  difference  in  that  place  of  59| 


A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S    EVERY-DAY   LIFE.         75 

degrees  in  about  16  hours  —  from  48  degrees  above  zero  to 
llr^  degrees  below. 

From  the  age  of  about  8  to  11  years  I  often  rose  from  my 
bed  at  night  and  walked  about  in  my  sleep.  Sometimes  the 
family  were  awake  and  my  brothers  or  sisters  tickled  my  ears 
with  a  straw,  causing  me  extreme  pain.  Generally  my  sleep- 
walking occurred  between  the  hours  of  one  and  three  in  the 
morning,  and  lasted  until  the  painful  sensation  of  cold  awoke 
me. 

Often  I  remembered  afterwards,  more  or  less  clearly,  what 
I  did  in  my  sleep.  Dr.  Woodward,  once  of  the  Worcester 
Insane  Asylum,  tells  me  that  this  is  very  unusual.  I  dis- 
tinctly recollect  going  once  to  the  corn-barn  in  this  state  of 
somnambulism,  and  piling  up  the  pumpkins,  and  being  greatly 
troubled  because  some  of  the  turbulent  vegetables  would  roll 
down  from  the  pile,  on  purpose,  as  I  thought,  to  vex  me.  The 
last  time  which  I  remember  clearly,  I  arose  from  bed,  went  to 
the  chamber  window,  crept  or  jumped  out  backwards,  and 
struck  upon  an  embankment,  rolling  over  upon  a  pile  of  stones. 
My  father,  awakened  by  the  noise  and  fearing  that  I  was 
killed,  rushed  out  of  the  house,  picked  me  up  and  carried  me 
back  to  my  room.  But  I  could  have  received  only  slight 
bruises,  for  I  was  out  to  play  the  next  day. 

While  I  was  still  very  young,  my  father  had  an  apprentice- 
boy,  Tom  Morey,  who  was  a  great  man  in  my  estimation. 
He  could  catch  more  muskrats,  rabbits  and  fish,  and  could 
shoot  more  crows  in  a  season,  than  any  other  boy  in  town. 
But  ordinary  labor  was  his  abomination,  and  he  had  his  own 
peculiar  ways  of  dodging  it.  The  last  I  knew  of  him  he 
had  a  large  family  and  was  trying  to  support  it  by  heading 
nails. 

In  the  year  1808,  two  boys  in  our  neighborhood,  named 
Jerry  and  Andrew,  caused  a  sensation  by  running  away,  and 
another  sensation  by  suddenly  re-appearing  about  a  fortnight 
later  with  a  watch  and  a  gun,  the  possession  of  which  was 


76  A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S  EVERY -DAY  LIFE. 

not  clearly  accounted  for.  A  day  behind  them  came  an 
officer  of  the  law  with  explanations. 

It  appeared  that  the  two  lads  had  run  away  in  search  of 
their  fortunes  which,  as  we  boys  well  understood,  are  always 
located  under  the  setting  sun.  So  they  walked  westward 
until  they  reached  the  Connecticut  River,  and  then  hired  out 
to  a  farmer.  But  the  experience  of  a  few  days  convinced 
them  that  there  was  some  mistake  in  their  calculations,  and 
that  working  for  a  stranger  was  not  the  easy  way  of  getting 
rich  which  they  had  supposed ;  for  their  employer  was  even 
more  strict  in  his  demands  than  were  the  jDCople  at  home.  A 
vigorous  scolding  one  day  awakened  in  them  feelings  of  un- 
fair treatment,  and  at  night  they  determined  (so  ran  the  story 
of  Jeny)  to  be  revenged  on  the  old  gentleman.  When  all 
was  quiet  they  arose  from  their  beds  and  without  waiting  for 
a  settlement  of  their  wages,  or  to  say  good-by,  they  slipped 
out  of  the  house  and  started  homewards,  taking  with  them 
the  watch  and  the  gun. 

They  had  not  been  gone  two  hours  when  their  absence 
and  the  loss  of  the  farmer's  property  were  discovered.  The 
neighbors  were  aroused,  and  a  party  of  horsemen  started  after 
the  runaways.  When  the  boys  heard  the  tramping  of  the 
horses  in  hot  pursuit,  they  awoke  to  a  full  consciousness  of 
what  they  had  done,  and  were  overwhelmed  with  fear  and 
remorse.  Jerry  afterwards  told  me  that  if  at  tins  moment  his 
life  could  have  been  put  back  only  three  hours  he  would  have 
been  willing  to  have  lost  his  hand,  and  rather  thought  he 
would  have  let  his  head  go  with  it.  After  hesitating  some 
moments  in  terror  and  confusion,  they  plunged  into  the  woods 
and,  going  across  country,  eluded  their  pursuers ;  but  twenty- 
four  hours  elapsed  before  they  dared  show  themselves  at  any 
house  in  order  to  obtain  food.  Then  inspired  with  the  simple 
desire  to  get  back  to  their  homes,  they  tramped  eastward  in 
constant  fear,  and  finally  reached  Norton ;  and  here  the  officer 
found  them  and  the  stolen  property. 


A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S  E VERY-DAY  LIFE.         77 

Master  Andrew  was  the  son  of  a  prosperous  farmer,  and 
after  his  father  had  settled  the  matter  with  the  officer  by  a 
financial  operation,  he  got  off  with  a  severe  "  dressing  down  " 
at  the  hands  of  his  irate  parent.  But  Jerry  was  an  orphan 
and  without  money,  and  he  was  put  in  Taunton  jail.  After 
he  had  been  committed,  my  father  took  pity  on  the  erring  and 
repentant  boy,  and  pleaded  his  case  so  effectually  with  the 
injured  party,  that  the  lad  was  released  on  his  verbal  prom- 
ise that  "  he  would  never  do  so  again."  My  father  brought 
Jerry  back  to  Norton  in  our  old  chaise.  It  was  in  a  way  a 
repetition  of  the  return  of  the  prodigal  son.  Jerry  possessed 
a  great  fund  of  humor,  could  play  the  fiddle,  and  was  very 
popular  with  the  other  boys,  who  gave  him  a  warm  welcome 
on  his  return. 

These  boys,  like  all  the  other  boys  in  Norton,  where  honesty 
and  truthfulness  were  enjoined  every  day  by  their  elders, 
knew  what  it  was  to  steal,  and  knew  that  they  were  doing 
wrong.  Yet  this  case  was  complicated  by  the  boyish  impulse 
to  "  get  even  "  for  a  fancied  injustice.  Despite  all  teachings, 
there  was  some  confusion  in  our  childish  minds  as  to  grada- 
tions of  right  and  wrong,  as  the  following  personal  experiences 
indicate. 

One  day  brother  Newton  (aged  9)  and  I  (aged  10),  while 
returning  from  school,  stepped  into  our  neighbor  Woodward's 
flax-field,  after  he  had  gathered  or  "pulled"  the  plants,  and 
took  a  few  spears  of  flax.  A  young  man  who  was  passing, 
accused  us  of  stealing  flax,  and  said  he  would  have  us  put  in 
jail.  This  was  undoubtedly  done  through  thoughtlessness, 
for  he  was  an  excellent  young  fellow,  but  it  alarmed  me 
exceedingly,  and  for  months  I  dreamed  frequently  of  the 
dreaded  Taunton  jail.  Brother  Newton,  however,  being  more 
of  a  philosopher  than  myself,  did  not  appear  to  be  much 
moved  by  the  threat. 

In  the  winter  of  1810-11,  I  attended  the  Centre  District 
school  and  boarded  with  my  uncle  Thomas  Danforth.     My 


78         A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S  E VERY-DAY  LIFE. 

cousin  Thomas  M.  Danforth  was  about  six  years  old,  and  my 
aunt,  having  two  younger  children  to  attend  to,  was  wont  to 
request  me  to  accompany  Thomas  to  his  room  when  he  went 
to  bed,  and  stay  with  him  until  he  was  asleep,  —  a  perform- 
ance which  I  regarded  as  foolish,  and  managed  to  imbue  my 
cousin  with  the  same  idea.  So  when  Thomas  was  well  in  bed 
I  asked  him  if  he  was  asleep,  to  which  he  invariably  replied 
"  Yes,"  and  I  immediately  went  down  stairs  reporting  that  it 
was  "  all  right,"  and  salving  my  conscience  with  the  theory 
that  if  Thomas  had  told  a  wrong  story  about  his  condition,  I 
was  not  responsible  for  it. 

In  June,  1813,  brother  Newton  and  I  went  on  foot  to  visit 
uncle  Kent  Bullock  in  Rehoboth,  a  distance  of  about  thirteen 
miles.  We  started  in  the  morning  and  jogged  along  cheer- 
fully for  about  nine  miles,  and  then  began  to  tire.  We 
stopped  at  a  house  where  we  found  a  kind  old  lady  who  im- 
mediately interested  herself  in  the  two  small  boys  and  their 
journey.  She  began  at  once  a  series  of  questions,  working 
herself  up  to  a  high  pitch  about  our  welfare,  when  suddenly, 
before  I  realized  what  I  was  saying,  the  statement  popped  out 
of  my  mouth  that  we  had  walked  all  the  way  from  Boston. 
I  had  been  heretofore  a  truthful  boy,  and  the  moment  this 
tvhopper  escaped  my  lips,  I  put  my  hand  to  my  face  and 
found  it  very  hot.  I  looked  at  brother  Newton.  He  stood 
a  moment  with  countenance  overcast  with  an  indescribably 
comic  expression  ;  then,  unable  to  control  his  features,  made 
a  rush  for  the  door.  I  remained  a  few  moments  while  the  old 
lady  put  rapidly  question  after  question  concerning  Boston. 
I  then  thought  it  prudent  to  bolt  also,  and  left  the  old  lady 
standing  in  an  attitude  of  astonishment  with  both  hands  up- 
raised. We  reached  aunt  Bullock's  that  night,  receiving  as 
always  a  most  hearty  welcome.  But  although  the  memory  of 
the  scene  with  the  old  lady  brought  only  laughter  and  no 
remorse,  I  pledged  my  brother  to  lisp  no  word  concerning  it 
during  our  stay  in  Rehoboth. 


A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S  EVERY-DAY  LIFE.         79 

Whortleberry  woods  and  barberry  fields  in  those  days  were 
regarded  as  free  to  all.  Hence  my  brother  and  I  were  very 
much  surprised  on  one  occasion,  after  we  had  gathered  a 
supply  of  barberries  in  a  certain  pasture,  at  being  held  up  by 
the  owner,  a  man  of  penurious  disposition  and  suppcjsed 
wealth,  who  was  popularly  known  as  "  Old  Bean  Bag."  He 
charged  us  with  having  committed  a  crime,  and  compelled  us 
to  carry  the  berries  to  his  house,  but  on  the  way  I  managed  to 
spill  a  large  part  of  what  I  had  collected.  We  were  much 
provoked  by  his  words  and  action,  and  our  mother,  to  whom 
we  related  the  occurrence,  was  very  indignant. 

Somewhat  later,  happening  to  meet  another  boy  who  also 
had  an  old  score  to  settle  with  neighbor  Bean  Bag,  we  agreed 
to  combine  and  even  up  accounts.  And  one  afternoon  while 
one  boy  watched,  two  others  crept  into  a  certain  corn-field. 
Not  long  after,  the  watcher  saw  his  companions  rushing  from 
the  field  as  if  for  dear  life,  nor  did  they  stop  until  fully  con- 
vinced that  no  man  pursued  them.  Neighbor  Bean  Bag's 
watermelon  patch  was  minus  four  large,  choice  melons  that 
afternoon. 

We  boys  at  the  moment  did  not  stop  to  consider  what  we 
were  about,  nor  the  risk  we  were  running ;  for  we  should  have 
paid  dear  for  our  revenge  had  the  old  gentleman  caught  us. 
Moreover  an  act  of  this  kind,  although  really  a  crime  and 
punishable  as  such,  was  regarded  by  the  great  majority  of  the 
country  people  as  a  quite  venial  transgression. 

My  father  was  a  clothier  as  well  as  a  farmer,  and  being 
always  industrious,  often  kept  his  fulling  mill  going  all  night 
when  there  was  an  abundance  of  water  in  the  brook.  He 
understood  so  well  the  varying  sounds  of  the  hammers  on  tlie 
cloth,  that  the  change  of  tone  when  the  cloth  was  finished 
always  roused  him  from  his  sleep ;  he  then  arose,  went  to  the 
mill  and  changed  the  batch  of  cloth,  and  then  returned  to  bed 
and  slept  until  another  change  was  necessary.    It  was  a  pleas- 


80         A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S  EVERY-DAY  LIFE. 

ant  duty  for  me  to  assist  my  father  at  the  mill,  performing 
such  labor  as  a  child  could  do,  dancing  upon  the  soaped  cloth, 
turning  the  cloth-reel,  and  driving  the  shearing  machine. 

During  a  part  of  the  winter  season,  from  1809  to  1811,  my 
mother  required  her  children  to  braid  straw.  My  task  was  at 
first  five,  and  then  six  yards  daily,  which  I  was  able  to  com- 
plete by  noon.  I  should  think  that  I  have  braided  over 
fifteen  hundred  yards.  The  price  paid  for  the  braided  straw 
was  two  and  a  half  and  three  cents  per  yard.  My  first  Bible 
was  purchased  with  the  money  which  I  earned  by  this  work, 
and  before  I  was  eleven  years  old  I  had  read  through  the 
book  in  course. 

We  boys  considered  straw-braiding  as  woman's  work,  as  we 
did  also  the  washing  of  dishes  which  was  required  of  us,  and 
neither  of  these  tasks  suited  our  fancy.  But  labor  upon  the 
farm  and  in  the  mill  we  liked,  and  as  a  rule  performed  it 
cheerfully,  although  at  times  it  was  quite  severe  and  not 
without  its  hazards.  For  instance,  in  the  fall  of  1813,  while 
I  was  splitting  wood  for  a  neighbor,  the  axe  glanced  and 
struck  my  instep,  inflicting  a  severe  wound  which  kept  me  in 
the  house  about  two  months. 

In  November,  1811,  my  brother  Newton  and  I  worked  for 
a  short  time  in  the  Raymond  cotton  factory,  soon  after  it  was 
started,  and  continued  until  our  school  began  its  winter  term. 
We  both  liked  the  work.  We  had  an  overseer  by  the  name 
of  Proctor,  who  was  a  perfect  tyrant,  but  he  never  scolded 
either  of  us.  We  certainly  tried  very  hard  indeed  to  give 
satisfaction. 

Late  in  the  autumn  or  early  in  the  winter  of  1812  I  worked 
again  in  the  Raymond  factory,  taking  the  place  of  my  brother 
Jonathan  in  the  carding-room,  which  I  considered  a  promotion. 
When  the  school  term  began  I  did  not  attend,  but  continued 
at  the  factory  until  I  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  let  a  top  card 
fall  on  the  revolving  cylinder  card,  doing  some  damage.  Al- 
though the  overseer  did  not  say  a  word  of  censure  to  me,  I 


A  COUNTRY  CHILD'S  EVERY-DAY  LIFE.  81 

was  very  much  disturbed  and  discouraged,  feeling  that  taking- 
care  of  the  cards  was  a  man's  work  and  not  a  boy's  —  I  was 
then  not  quite  eleven  years  old  —  and  in  this  I  was  doubtless 
correct.  I  resigned  my  situation  and  went  to  school.  How- 
ever I  worked  afterwards  in  the  factory,  and  when  I  stopped 
finally,  in  September,  1814,  I  had  been  through  all  the  depart- 
ments from  the  picker  to  the  weaving  room. 

In  the  summer  of  1813,  when  I  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
I  was  able  to  do  about  half  a  man's  task.  That  summer 
during  haying  time  the  men  started  early  in  the  morning  for 
a  lot  belonging  to  my  father  in  "  the  Dean  neighborhood," 
about  two  miles  from  our  house.  Brother  Newton  or  I  staid 
behind  until  my  mother  and  sisters  had  prepared  the  dinner, 
wliich  was  packed  into  saddle-bags,  and  these  were  thrown 
across  the  shoulders  of  old  Jenny,  our  mare.  If  the  bags 
were  not  well  balanced,  we  boys  restored  the  equilibrium  by 
adding  a  stone  on  the  light  side.  Then  we  mounted  the  mare 
and  trotted  away  for  the  Dean  place,  occasionally  racing  when 
another  boy  came  along  on  a  similar  errand.  At  noon  the 
dinner  was  served  under  a  very  large  chestnut  tree,  and  how 
good  the  green  peas  and  lamb  or  beef  tasted  !  Never  did 
dinner  taste  so  good  in  any  other  place. 

Old  Jenny  was  just  my  own  age,  and  when  she  was  willing 
to  run,  was  very  swift.  I  remember  clearly  the  time  when  I 
beat  our  neighbor  Arnold's  boy,  whose  horse  was  quite  cele- 
brated for  speed.  But  Jenny  was  very  peculiar  in  her  views 
and  temper  and,  like  Falstaff,  would  do  nothing  on  compul- 
sion. She  was  sometimes  very  cross  when  she  ought  to  have 
been  good-natured  —  sometimes  would  stand  still  when  we 
wanted  her  to  go,  and  sometimes  would  go  when  we  wanted 
her  to  stand  still.  I  was  loading  fence-rails  one  day  in  the 
apple-orchard,  and  took  hold  of  the  bridle  to  made  her  move 
the  wagon.  At  first  she  held  back  and  absolutely  refused  to 
start.  Then  suddenly,  and  most  unexpectedly  to  me,  she 
sprang  forward,  almost  tearing  herself    out  of  the  harness. 


82  COUNTRY  HOLIDAYS. 

She  knocked  me  down,  ran  the  wheel  over  my  foot  or  trod  on 
me,  and  crushed  one  of  my  toes  so  badly  that  I  was  kept  in 
the  house  a  whole  fortnight.  But  the  incident  left  no  ill 
feeling  on  either  side. 

Country  Holidays. 

The  anniversary  of  American  Independence  had  not  been 
noticed  much  in  Norton,  or  if  it  had  been  celebrated  the  fact 
had  not  been  brought  home  to  me,  until  the  year  1810.  This 
year  Mr.  Cobb,  who  occupied  a  part  of  my  father's  house, 
arose  soon  after  midnight  on  the  Fourth  of  July  and  began 
firing  his  old  musket,  keeping  up  this  amusement  until  after 
sunrise,  very  much  to  our  delight.  This  was  our  first  cele- 
bration of  the  day  [and  the  onl^/  one  at  Norton  which  is 
mentioned  in  these  memoirs]. 

The  greatest  holiday  of  the  year  was  the  annual  Regimental 
Review  of  the  militia  of  the  towns  of  Norton,  Attleborough, 
Mansfield  and  Easton,  which  was  held  on  Norton  Common. 
To  this  we  always  looked  forward  for  weeks  with  the  greatest 
pleasurable  excitement ;  and  it  formed  the  topic  of  conversa- 
tion for  weeks  after  it  had  occurred. 

It  was  at  a  regimental  review,  in  the  year  1809  or  1810, 
that  I  first  heard  a  band  of  music,  and  such  a  band  I  have 
never  heard  since.  It  was  the  Mansfield  Band  led  by  Otis 
Allen.  Their  instruments,  I  distinctly  recollect,  were  two 
clarinets  (or  one  clarinet  and  one  hautboy),  two  French  horns, 
two  bassoons  and  four  bass  drums.  I  followed  this  band 
nearly  all  day,  keeping  as  close  as  possible  to  the  first  bassoon 
player,  delighted  not  only  by  the  sweet  strains  of  music,  but 
also  by  the  player's  earnest  efforts  to  regain  the  mouthpiece 
of  his  instrument  after  he  had  stepped  into  an  unexpected 
but  not  unusual  hole  in  the  ground. 

The  uniform  of  the  Norton  company,  of  which  my  father 
had  been  captain,  consisted  of  a  certain  kind  of  frock,  so  I 


COUNTRY  HOLIDAYS.  83 

remember  Ms  sapng.  I  recollect  well  the  uniform  of  the 
Norton  Artillery  company,  commanded  by  my  uncle  Thomas 
Danforth :  a  blue  coat  turned  up  with  red,  the  old-fashioned 
chapeau  with  a  short  black  plume  tipped  with  red,  and  long 
red  top-boots.  This  was  a  famous  company  in  my  boyhood- 
days. 

To  these  trainings  flocked  people  from  the  surrounding 
towns,  and  there  were  always  many  tents  where  gingerbread, 
cookies,  almost  all  kinds  of  fancy  articles,  and  liquors  were 
sold.  We  children  always  took  an  early  start  in  the  morn- 
ing and  tramped  around  the  camp-ground,  seeing  all  the 
sights.  When  we  had  grown  very  tired,  we  were  wont  to  go 
to  aunt  Freeman's  to  rest.  She  lived  near  the  Common,  and 
her  son  Sanforth  was  captain  of  one  of  the  militia  companies. 
She  always  provided  a  liberal  dinner  for  the  members  of  her 
son's  company,  and  after  they  had  eaten  we  boys  were  invited 
to  sit  down  to  what  was  left.  In  case  the  supply  ran  short, 
aunt  Freeman  always  found  plenty  of  her  good  doughnuts 
for  us. 

It  was  at  her  house  that  we  saw  the  first  great  exhibition 
of  skill  in  balancing.  A  man  walked  backward  and  forwaird 
a  long  time,  without  falling  off,  on  a  slack  wire  from  one  end 
of  a  large  room  to  the  other!  This  in  our  opinion  was  a 
tremendous  feat  —  and  it  cost  only  six  and  one-quarter  cents 
apiece  to  see  the  wonderful  performance. 


APPRENTICE   DAYS. 


At  Noeton. 

Y  first  real  sorrow  came  when  my  father  died.  He 
had  always  been  very  kind  and  indulgent  to  his 
children,  and  we  loved  him  dearly.  He  was 
seized  with  the  typhoid  fever  on  the  24th  of 
March,  1814,  and  died  on  Monday  the  28th.  I  was  first  made 
aware  of  his  perilous  condition  by  the  notice  written  by  Dr. 
Morey  and  handed  to  a  neighbor  to  be  carried  to  tlie  church, 
where,  I  suppose,  it  was  read  by  good  old  Parson  Clarke. 
Its  words,  deeply  impressed  upon  my  memory,  were  these : 

Jonathan  Hodges  and  family  desire  your  prayers,  lie 
being  very  dangerousl}^  sick,  that  God  would  in  his 
mercy  restore  him  again  to  health,  or  fit  and  ])repare 
him  for  his  Holy  ^Yill. 

My  mother  was  seized  with  the  same  disease,  and  was  very 
sick  for  some  ten  days  ;  it  was  probably  two  months  before 
she  regained  her  health.     This  was  a  very  sad  period. 

Very  soon  our  family  began  to  separate.  I  remained  at 
home  for  more  than  a  year,  working  part  of  the  time  on  the 
farm  and  part  of  the  time  in  the  cotton  factory.  The  summer 
of  1815  I  spent  with  my  uncle  Asa  Danforth,  helping  him 
in  his  farm-work  and  weaving  sheetings.  In  November  I 
returned  to  my  mother's  house  and  wove  bed-ticks  on  my  own 
account.  The  school-term  in  District  No.  3,  beginning  early, 
was  finished  before  New  Year's  day,  and  as  Master  Braman 

*  From  the  MSS.  of  A.  D.  Hodges. 

(84) 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  85 

then  took  another  school  near  uncle  Asa,  I  followed  him  and 
boarded  with  my  uncle,  attending  school  until  January  27, 
1816. 

Then  my  uncle,  who  was  my  guardian,  decided  that  it 
would  be  for  my  advantage  to  receive  a  har  education  ;  and 
without  any  prei)aratory  reading  or  studying,  I  began  to  prac- 
tice at  the  bar  in  the  "  Gilbert  Tavern  "  in  Norton,  then  kept 
by  Eleazer  Walker,  Jr.,  a  brother-in-law  of  my  uncle.  Soon  I 
became  equal  to  any  old  practitioner,  —  could  heat  up  a  flip 
or  mix  a  gin  toddy  as  rapidly  and  acceptably  as  any  of  my 
associates.  I  had  plenty  of  this  work  for  more  than  two 
months.  But  the  business  and  the  society  into  which  I  was 
thrown  were  never  congenial,  and  soon  became  exceedingly 
disagreeable.  So  without  consulting  my  guardian  or  any  one 
else,  I  threw  up  my  commission  at  the  bar  and  returned  to 
my  mother's  home,  determined  to  obtain  my  living  in  some 
other  wa}^ 

I  was  also  determined  not  to  remain  idle,  and  I  contracted 
with  manufacturers  in  Mansfield  and  Norton  to  weave  bed_ 
ticking.  By  this  work  during  the  summer  of  1816  my  net 
earnings,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  were  ten  dollars  per  month, 
out  of  which  I  paid  my  mother  one  dollar  per  week  for  board. 

In  August,  the  demand  for  bed-ticking  having  ceased,  I 
obtained  a  position  in  the  store  of  Daniel  Smith,  at  Norton 
Centre,  and  for  two  months  was  occupied  in  selling  molasses, 
rum,  flour,  tapes,  muslins,  dry  goods  and  fanc}^  articles  in 
general.  Meantime  I  boarded  in  the  family  of  Judge  Laban 
Wheaton.  The  judge  had  just  returned  from  Washington, 
his  term  of  service  as  Congressman  having  expired. 

At  the  beginning  of  November,  George  Gilbert,  who  had 
recently  moved  from  Norton  to  Providence  where  he  was 
doing  a  grocery  business,  offered  me  a  position  in  his  new 
store.  As  Mr.  Smith,  when  I  made  the  request,  consented  to 
release  me  from  my  engagement  with  him,  I  A^'as  able  to  ac- 
cept the  offer.     Consequentl}^  on  the  7th  day  of  November, 


86  APPRENTICE   DAYS. 

1816,  I  bade  good-bye  to  my  mother  and  to  old  Norton  and 
started  for  Providence.* 

At  Providence. 

There  was  no  stage  or  other  reguLir  conveyance  from  Nor- 
ton to  Providence ;  but  an  acquaintance,  Mr.  Isaac  Hall,  was 
going  to  the  last-named  town  with  a  load  of  hay  and  invited 
me  to  ride  with  him.  We  started  very  early  in  the  morning 
and  drove  as  far  as  Seekonk  Plains.  There  the  wagon  was 
turned  over  to  another  driver,  but  Mr.  Hall  took  one  of  tlie 
horses,  and  on  this  he  and  I  rode  "  double-jaded  "  until  we 
had  crossed  Seekonk  upper  bridge.  Thinking  it  not  quite 
prudent  to  make  my  entrance  into  Providence  in  this  manner, 
I  walked  the  rest  of  the  way.  I  went  at  once  to  Mr.  Gilbert's 
store,  where  I  found  two  other  clerks  who  outranked  me, 
Minor  S.  Lincoln  and  John  J.  Stimson. 

I  discovered,  however,  that  there  was  some  misunderstand- 
ing about  my  special  duties.  I  had  been  told  by  Mr.  Gilbert, 
when  we  made  the  engagement,  that  Mrs.  Gilbert  would 
probably  desire  my  assistance  in  some  few  matters  at  the 
house,  to  which  I  readily  assented ;  but  as  it  turned  out,  my 
employment  was  almost  altogether  as  a  domestic  helper,  and 
about  my  only  duty  at  the  store  was  to  go  thither  and  call 
the  young  gentlemen  to  a  hot  dinner  at  the  house.  Although 
I  felt  then,  and  still  feel,  that  this  was  not  in  the  bargain,  and 
that   I    was    not    being  treated   fairly,   I   bore  my  honors   as 

*  Xov.  7,  1860.  Wednesday.  Celebrated  this  evening  the  50tii  anni- 
versary of  my  leaving  old  Norton  for  Providence,  to  reside  with  the  late 
George  Gilbert,  vrho  kept  a  grocery  store  where  the  Franklin  House  now 
stands.  Present :  Jane,  Danforth  and  his  wife  and  their  two  children  — 
Almon  D.,  2d,  and  Martha,  —  Amory,  Edward,  Almira  Winslow,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Brackett,  Louisa  Brackett,  Ann  McCabe  and  Margaret  Quirk. 
[Journal  of  A.  D.  II.] 

Almira  Winslow  was  housekeeper,  and  Ann  McCabe  and  Margaret 
Quirk  were  servants. 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  87 

Kitchen  Colonel  meekly  and  without  a  murmur,  hoping  for  a 
good  time  coming.  Mrs.  Gilbert  and  her  daughter  Hannah 
were  both  very  good  to  me  and  appeared  to  take  an  interest 
in  my  welfare,  making  my  position  easy,  if  not  pleasiint ;  I 
have  never  forgotten  their  kindness.  Both  passed  through 
serious  troubles  in  tlieir  lives,  and  both  have  gone  to  the 
spirit  world.     Peace  be  to  their  memories. 

I  labored  faithfully  at  the  house  until  the  next  spring,  when 
Mr.  Lincoln  went  to  Boston  to  live.  Mr.  Caesar  Dockray,  a 
colored  gentleman,  took  my  position,  and  I  was  promoted  to 
be  second  clerk  in  the  grocery  store.  This  store  was  a  ten- 
footer  on  the  site  occupied  later  by  the  Franklin  House. 
My  position  now  was  a  pleasant  one  and  so  continued,  and 
my  fellow-clerk,  Mr.  Stimson,  proved  to  be  a  most  agreeable 
companion  and  associate. 

The  principal  event  which  occurred  at  Providence  in  1817 
was  the  visit  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  James 
Monroe,  who  made  a  tour  through  the  New  England  States, 
inaugurating  the  "  Era  of  Good  Feeling,"  He  arrived  —  or 
departed  —  in  June,  in  the  little  steamboat  Fire-Fly^  the  first 
steam  vessel  which  ever  entered  Providence  River.  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  making  my  first  steam  voyage  in  that  little 
craft. 


To  the  Editors  of  the  Evening  Post  :* 

In  the  days  of  ray  childhood  I  witnessed  in  the  old  Providence 
(R.  I.)  Theatre,  an  old  wooden  building  where  now  stands  Grace 
Church,  the  first  theatrical  rei^resentation  of  my  youthful  daj's. 
The  plays  were  "  The  Wags  of  Windsor "  and  "  The  Day  after 
the  Wedding."  The  character  of  Caleb  Qiiotem  was  by  Mr.  Drum- 
mond,  whose  recent  death  was  noticed  in  the  Evening  Eost,  and 
Colonel  Freelove  and  Lady  Elizabeth^  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drum- 
mond  ;  and  oh,  how  charming  and  delightful  was  that  evening  ! 

*  Letter  printed  in  the  New  York  Evening  Post  of  March  16,  IfcTl. 


88  APPRENTICE  DAYS. 

No  other  play  or  players  ever  came  up  to  the  performances  of 
that  night,  according  to  ray  childish  fancy. 

A  separation  —  if  I  remember  rightly  —  soon  after  took  place 
between  the  parties,  and  the}'  could  not  have  been  long  married 
when  I  first  saw  them  as  above  stated.  JVIr.  Drummond  I  have 
never  seen  since.  Mrs.  Drummond  (afterwards  ]\Irs.  George  Bar- 
rett) became  a  great  favorite  —  and  she  was  really  a  fine  actress  — 
at  the  old  Federal  Street  and  Tremont  theatres  in  Boston,  and 
also  at  Mr.  Kimball's  Museum,  where  she  ended  her  theatrical  life. 
She  passed  awaj'^  some  twelve  to  fifteen  years  since.  I  still  hold 
in  delightful  remembrance  my  first  night  at  the  theatre,  Avhen 
everything  was  of  the  color  of  the  rose. 

I  was  pleased  to  learn  that  Mv.  Drummond  was  provided  for  in 
his  old  age  and  his  dying  hours  at  the  House  of  Incurables,  and 
that  Edwin  Booth  showed  his  kindness  of  heart  in  remembering 
and  providing  for  him. 

I  have  witnessed,  since  that  time,  the  performances  of  some  of 
the  greatest  artists  of  this  century — the  elder  Kean,  the  elder 
Wallack,  Cooper,  CouAvay,  Macready,  the  Booths,  Mrs.  Powell, 
Mrs.  Duff,  Fanny  Kemble,  Ellen  Tree,  and  a  great  man}'  other 
celebrities  —  but  no  acting  can  approach,  according  to  my  youth- 
ful fancy,  that  first  performance  which  I  saw  in  the  old  Providence 
Theatre  in  April,  1817,  fifty -four  years  ago.  a.  d.  h. 

Boston,  March  10,  1871. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  Journal:* 

As  you  frequently  publish  in  your  valuable  Journal  the  recollec- 
tions of  your  correspondents  of  the  olden  time,  I  take  the  liberty 
to  hand  you  some  pleasant  memories  of  by-gone  days.  The  recol- 
lections of  your  flourishing  city  are  the  most  charming  of  my 
youthful  associations,  and  bear  the  true  color  of  the  rose  and  the 
violet.  They  run  back  to  the  time  when  Providence  contained  a 
population  of  less  than  ten  thousand,  to  the  times  when  j-our 
good  old  citizens  wore  the  hair  done  up  in  a  "queue,"  silk  stock- 

*  Letter  printed  in  the  Providence  Journal  of  June  9,  1S59. 


APPRENTICE  DAYS.  89 

ings  and  shoe-  and  knee-buckles ;  when  the  Benevolent  Congre- 
gational Church  had  a  steeple  at  each  end ;  when  the  "  Turk's 
head"  frowned  near  the  junction  of  Weybosset  and  Westmin- 
ister streets;  to  the  great  gale  of  September,  1815;  and  to  the 
old  "  great  bridge,"  which  in  that  gale  was  carried  away  by  the 
ship  Ganges  that  remained  in  your  cove,  with  her  ribs  so  long 
exposed  to  the  wind  and  weather.  They  go  back  to  your  vener- 
able old  Town  House,  where  your  citizens  held  their  caucuses  and 
town  meetings,  whose  old  walls  have  reverberated  to  the  eloquence 
of  James  Burrill,  Tristam  Burgess,  Nathaniel  Searle  and  many 
others  who  have  passed  away,  and  to  the  charming  voice  of  John 
Whipple  who  is  still  in  the  land  of  the  living. 

I  well  remember  the  exciting  times  of  the  last  war  with  England 
and  of  the  general  elections  of  1816  and  1817.  The  last-named 
year  you  had  in  your  State  a  very  interesting  and  stirring  time  in 
the  election  of  Governor.  The  candidates  were  William  Jones, 
Federal,  and  Nehemiah  R.  Knight,  Republican,  whose  party  did 
not  then  like  the  name  of  Democrat.  Governor  Knight  was  the 
successful  candidate  by  a  small  majority.  Well  do  I  recollect 
sitting  in  that  old  gallery  with  other  boys  of  my  age,  watching 
with  intense  interest  the  "  proxes "  as  they  went  into  the  ballot 
box ;  and  woe  to  the  boy  who  dared  to  say  anything  disrespectful 
to  a  vote  or  voter  for  our  side.  Governor  Jones  was  the  popular 
candidate  of  your  city  and  of  the  boys  in  the  gallery.  Those  times 
have  passed  away,  and  so  have  nearly  all  of  the  men  who  took  an 
active  part  in  the  election  of  that  year.  You  still  have  with  you  a 
good  and  valuable  citizen,*  who  has  been  a  business  man  on  the 
same  street  and  near  the  same  spot,  if  not  in  the  same  store,  and 

*  Advertisement  in  the  Providence  Daily  Press  of  June  9,  1859  :  — 

INSTITUTED  IN  PROVIDENCE,  R.  I., 

-*-  June  9,  1809. 

SO  50th  Auuiveriiiary,  June  9.  1839.  30 

JOHN  BARNET  CHACE  takes  this  public  oppor- 
tunity to  thank  his  khul  hearted*  customers  for  their 
Steadfastness  in  sustaining  his  Family  Grocery  Institu- 
tion, which  has  now  been  in  unceasing  operation  for 

HALF  A  CENTURY. 

*What  is  Fame  bidding  envy  defiance, 
The  idol  and  bane  of  mankind  — 
What  is  wit  —  what  is  learning  or  science 
To  the  HEART,  that  is  steadfast  and  kind? 

—  Cottle. 


90  APPRENTICE  DAYS. 

who  has  gone  along  in  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  a  great  many- 
years  ;  who,  if  I  mistake  not,  can  celebrate  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  his  business  life  on  the  9th  day  of  June,  1859  ;  and  who,  in 
whatever  position  he  has  been  placed,  has  acted  well  his  part  —  a 
good  merchant,  a  good  citizen,  a  good  fireman,  a  good  soldier,  and 
a  good  churchman  ;  whom  I  never  meet  without  a  cheerful  greet- 
ing that  makes  me  feel  happy  for  a  whole  day  afterwards. 

Your  "  great  bridge  "  was  a  pleasant  place  in  the  olden  time  for 
merry  meetings  and  greetings  at  twilight  on  a  summer's  evening, 
and  many  a  pleasant  story  has  been  told  there.  David  Grieve 
was  sure  to  have  an  audience,  and  but  few  men  ever  told  a  story 
with  equal  effect.  I  have  always  supposed  that  he  was  the  orig- 
inator of  the  screw  propeller.  His  "  screw- tail  steamboat "  was 
the  cause  of  a  great  amount  of  fun  among  the  Providence  boys 
of  the  old  days.* 

I  hoi^e  to  retain  for  many  a  long  year  my  pleasant  recollections 
of  your  city,  and  truly  feel  like  exclaiming,  "  Oh,  the  delightful 
days  of  boyhood,  how  soon,  how  soon  they  passed  away." 

Boston,  3Iay  25, 1859.  a.  d.  h. 

At  Boston. 

In  the  summer  of  1818,  hearing  that  the  firm  of  John  D. 
&  M.  Williams  of  Boston  wanted  a  lad  in  their  store,  I  con- 
ceived a  very  strong  desire  to  obtain  the  place.  Mr.  Gilbert 
wrote  a  letter  in  my  behalf,  and  later,  when  in  Boston,  called 


*  About  the  middle  of  August,  1807,  David  Grieve  of  Providence 
made  a  public  trial  trip  vritli  a  vessel  using  a  screvp  propeller  actuated 
by  horse  povper,  eight  horses  being  used.  According  to  another  account 
the  motive  power  was  a  yoke  of  oxen.  The  vessel,  which  was  about  100 
feet  long  by  20  beam,  started  from  Jackson's  wharf,  on  Eddy's  Point, 
bound  for  the  village  of  Pawtuxet,  and  with  wind  and  tide  in  her  favor 
made  a  speed  of  four  knots  an  hour.  It  was  conceded  at  once  that  she 
had  triumphed,  and  all  were  happy.  On  the  return  a  gust  of  wind 
drove  the  boat  upon  the  mud  flats  off  South  Providence,  where  she  lay 
all  night  —  such  was  the  end  of  the  discovery,  [FieWs  State  of  Rhode 
Island  and  Providence  Plantations,  II :  511.] 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  91 

on  the  firm.  His  report  being  encouraging,  I  went  to  Boston* 
and  applied  in  person,  and  the  details  of  the  trip  are  still 
clear  in  my  memory.  I  walked  into  the  store,  examining  it 
carefully,  and  asked  Mr.  Moses  Williams,  who  was  writing  at 
a  desk,  the  price  of  oranges,  wliich  I  supposed  they  did  not 
keep.  Some  conversation  followed,  and  finally,  Mr.  John  D. 
Williams  also  being  present,  I  introduced  myself.  Both 
members  of  the  firm  asked  me  various  questions  which  I 
endeavored  to  answer  promptly,  and  I  tried  to  show  by  my 
replies  that  I  was  desirous  of  obtaining  the  place  and  was 
willing  to  work  faithfully.  They  bade  me  call  again  later  in 
the  day,  and  when  I  did  so,  it  was  agreed  that  if,  after  a  trial, 
we  should  be  mutually  satisfied,  I  was  to  live  with  them  un- 
til I  was  twenty-one.  My  wages  were  to  be,  in  addition  to 
my  board,  $110  for  the  first  year,  |120  for  the  second  year, 
and  .iJllO  for  the  third  year.  The  fourth  year  I  received  iiSOO 
and  board,  considered  to  be  the  equivalent  of  1500. 

I  returned  to  Providence  the  next  day,  settled  up  my  affairs 
there,  and  then  went  to  Norton  to  visit  my  mother  and  tell 
her  the  good  news. 

On  the  fifteenth  day  of  July,  1818,  I  had  my  trunk  packed 
at  my  mother's  house  early  in  the  morning.  The  process  of 
packing  did  not  require  much  time,  as  my  wardrobe  was  not 
extensive,  —  few  boys  at  the  present  day  would  be  content 
with  such  an  outfit,  —  but  it  was  sufficient  for  all  necessary 
purposes.  Brother  Newton  carried  me  and  my  belongings  in 
our  chaise  about  four  miles  to  the  old  Taunton  and  Boston 
road,  and  there  left  me.     I  placed  my  trunk  on  a  wall  and 


*  1870,  March  15.  When  I  came  to  Boston  in  July,  1818,  to  obtain  a 
situation  with  J.  D.  &  M.  Williams,  Thomas  S.  Metcalf,  a  fruit  dealer  of 
Providence,  who  was  going  to  Boston  to  purchase  a  load  of  oranges, 
brought  me  along  in  his  wagon.  To-day  I  see  in  a  Boston  paper  a  notice 
of  his  death,  about  March  1,  in  Augusta,  Georgia,  at  the  age  of  72.  He 
has  failed  once  or  twice  in  Augusta,  but  at  times  has  been  the  richest 
man  in  the  State.  Grandmother  [mother-in-law]  Comstock  said  that  he 
once  peddled  candy  on  a  board  in  Providence.     [Journal  of  A.  D.  H.] 


92  APPRENTICE   DAYS. 

awaited  the  arrival  of  the  stage  from  Taunton.  This  soon 
appeared.  I  mounted  the  box  beside  the  driver,  and,  although 
the  air  was  heavy  with  a  disagreeable  smoke,  began  the  most 
delightful  journey  of  my  life,  my  heart  ovei-flowing  with  joy 
and  my  mind  filled  with  the  brightest  anticipations.* 

I  arrived  at  the  store  in  Boston  about  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening  and  received  a  cordial  welcome.  I  was  informed 
that  I  was  to  board  in  the  family  of  Mr.  John  D.  Williams, 
and  my  new  home  proved  to  be  a  very  pleasant  one.  I  was 
also  invited  by  Mr.  Williams  to  attend  the  Hollis  Street 
Church,  and  of  course  accepted  the  invitation  and  went  to 
this  church  on  Sundays  with  the  family.  The  minister  was 
Rev.  Horace  Holley,  an  eloquent  preacher.  He  was  very 
popular,  and  when  he  was  called  later  in  the  year  to  the 
presidency  of  the  Transylvania  University  in  Kentucky,  his 
request  for  dismission  was  granted  with  reluctance  by  his 
church.  His  place  was  taken  the  next  year  by  Rev.  John 
Pierj)ont,  a  man  of  unusual  ability. 

The  family  of  John  Davis  Williams  consisted  of  himself  and 
his  wife,  Hannah  (Weld)  ;  three  sons,  John  D.  W.,  George 
Foster  and  David  Weld ;  and  four  daughters,  Hannah  Weld, 
Sarah  Ann,  Mary  Elizabeth  and  Caroline  E.     Mr.  Williams, 


*  References  to  the  exceeding  joy  of  this  journey  are  very  frequent  in 
the  Journal  and  in  later  years  were  made  on  each  recurring  anniversary 
of  the  day.  On  July  15,  1872,  for  example,  is  this  entry :  "  The  54th 
anniversary  of  my  going  from  George  Gilbert's  employ  into  the  employ 
of  J.  D.  &  M.  Williams  —  a  day  which  I  shall  never  forget.  It  was  a  very 
happy  change  in  my  life  ;  everything  partook  of  the  colour  of  the  rose. 
The  change  to  me  was  delightful,  although  the  labour  in  the  new  store 
was  not  light  nor  the  number  of  hours  small,  — say  from  5  in  the  morn- 
ing until  9  at  night.  Still  everything  went  so  pleasantly.  I  look  upon 
this  period  as  the  most  cheerful  of  my  life,  —  I  was  young,  hopeful  and 
trustful.  Could  we  only  realize  in  after-life  our  youthful  dreams,  how 
delightful  it  would  be." 

"July  15,  1876.  This  is  the  5Sth  anniversary  of  my  going  from  Provi- 
dence to  Boston  and  beginning  with  John  D.  &  M.  Williams  ;  ayid  loas  I 
not  happy !  " 


MOSES  WILLIAMS. 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  93 

tlien  forty-eight  years  old,  was  a  man  of  benevolence,  strict 
honesty  and  stern  integrity.  Although  he  had  his  peculiar- 
ities, as  indeed  we  all  have,  he  was  a  good  man  to  be  with. 
Mrs.  Williams  was  an  excellent  woman,  who  made  her  home 
cheerful  and  pleasant,  and  treated  me  with  kindness.  She 
died  February  11,  1824.  Hannah  W.  Williams  was  about 
my  own  age,  there  being  only  a  week's  difference ;  she  mar- 
ried, in  1832,  Jonathan  French,  Jr.  Sarah  Ann  Williams 
married  October  19,  1826,  Robert  Davis  Coolidge  Merry. 
Mary  E.  Williams  married,  in  1845,  Dr.  G.  Henry  Lodge  and 
lived  on  the  Neck  close  to  the  site  of  the  old  store.  Caroline 
E.  Williams  died  March  13,  1819,  aged  about  two  and  a  half 
years. 

Moses  Williams,  then  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  was  a  most 
excellent  man,  and  was  more  of  a  companion  than  a  master. 
With  him  I  formed  a  life-long  friendship.*  In  November  of 
this  year  he  married  Miss  Mary  Blake,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Blake.  The  wedding,  at  which  Rev.  W.  F.  P.  Greenwood 
officiated,  took  place  at  the  house  of  the  bride's  father,  and  I 
was  invited  and  attended.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moses  Williams 
took  a  house  on  Orange  Street,  now  Washington  Street,  near 
where  Dover  Street  now  runs,  and  here  their  first  child, 
Moses  Blake  Williams,  was  born  October  20,  1820.  On  May 
19,  1819,  I  went  to  board  with  them,  and  staid  until  they 
moved,  in  November,  1821,  to  Mr.  D.  Dudley's  place.  Then 
I  returned  to  my  former  room  in  the  third  story  of  the  house 
of  Mr.  John  D.  Williams,  f 

*  For  many  years  it  was  the  regular  custom  of  A.  D.  Hodges  to  visit 
Moses  Williams  on  July  15  —  the  anniversary  of  his  entering  into  the 
employ  of  the  firm  —  a  custom  ended  only  by  death.  And  for  many 
years  on  Christmas  Day  the  firm  sent  a  case  of  champagne  to  their 
former  clerk. 

t  The  residence  of  Mr.  John  D.  Williams  stood  on  the  easterly  side  of 
Washington  Street  where  now  (1909)  is  the  northerly  corner  of  the  Cathe- 
dral of  the  Holy  Cross.  It  was  a  large  three-story  brick  house  with  base- 
ment, one  end  being  on  the  street  line,  having  its  main  entrance  on  the 


94  APPRENTICE   DAYS. 

My  position  was  indeed  pleasant.  There  was  plenty  of 
hard  work,  but  everytliing  went  on  cheerfully.  We  labored 
at  the  store  from  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  about  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  sometimes  till  a  later  hour.  My  part  was  to 
put  up  goods,  fill  wine-casks  and  make  myself  generally  use- 
ful during  the  day,  and,  when  evening  came,  to  copy  letters 
as  they  were  written  by  the  head  of  the  firm.  Mr.  J.  D. 
Williams  was  a  pious  man,  yet  he  was  so  much  engrossed 
in  business  that  he  frequently  invited  me  to  go  to  the  store 
and  copy  his  letters  on  Sunday  evenings.  This  continued 
for  nearly  a  year,  and  then  the  practice  was  abandoned.  In- 
deed as   time  went  on,  evening  work  on  week-days  was  not 


south  front.  At  this  front  was  a  garden  which  extended  from  Washing- 
ton Street  easterly  to  the  water  line,  where  now  is  Harrison  Avenue. 
Next  north  was  the  house  of  Daniel  Weld,  very  similar  in  appearance, 
and  still  standing  on  the  Cathedral  lot  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Wash- 
ington and  Union  Park  Streets. 

The  store  stood  opposite  the  house  on  the  westerly  side  of  Washing- 
ton Street,  just  north  of  where  the  brick  houses  of  Dr.  G.  H.  Lodge  and 
Mr.  Barney  Corey  stood  later.  The  store  and  land  belonging  to  it  oc- 
cupied a  large  part  of  the  block  on  the  north  side  of  the  present  Pelham 
Street,  extending  north  nearly  to  Union  Park  Street. 

Both  the  house  and  the  store  of  J.  D.  Williams  were  painted  green  — 
his  favorite  color.  The  so-called  "  Green  Stores  "  were  farther  north  on 
Washington  Street  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Dover  Street,  and  did  not 
belong  to  Mr.  Williams,  as  ShurtlefE,  in  his  Topographical  History  of 
Boston,  supposed. 

Mi's.  James  B.  Case  (Laura  L.  Williams),  daughter  of  Mr.  Moses  Wil- 
liams, now  living  in  Boston,  possesses  photographs  of  the  house  and  the 
store  which  are  reproduced  here. 

The  house  which  Mr.  Moses  Williams  rented  at  marriage  was  No.  5 
Orange  Street.  At  this  date,  and  until  1824,  the  thorouglifare  now 
called  for  its  full  length  Washington  Street,  bore  the  following  names, 
beginning  in  Roxbury  and  proceeding  northerly:  —  from  Roxbury  to  a 
point  at  or  near  the  last  bend  just  south  of  Dover  Street,  Washington 
Street;  thence  to  Essex  Street,  Orange  Street;  thence  to  Summer  Street, 
Newbury  Street;  thence  to  School  Street,  Marlborough  Street;  and  thence 
to  Dock  Square,  Cornhill. 

The  D.  Dudley  place  to  which  Mr.  Moses  Williams  moved  in  1821  stood 
at  the  corner  of  Washington  Street  and  what  is  now  South  May  Street. 


It  1T- 

imWs 
SSS 


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SS! 

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i    I 

;  i.K,  1 1; 

APPRENTICE   DAYS.  95 

always  demanded,  giving  opportunity  for  occasional  diver- 
sion. 

The  business  was  carried  on  every  week-day  in  the  year. 
There  were  no  stated  vacations,  but  when  trade  permitted 
and  occasion  arose,  the  clerks  were  allowed  not  unfrequently 
to  be  absent  a  day  or  several  days,  and  thus  were  able  to  visit 
their  homes  or  take  other  pleasure  trips.  It  was  a  friendly 
family  arrangement  all  around. 

There  were  no  regular  holidays  for  us  all  except  Sundays. 
We  usually  closed  the  store  part  of  the  day  on  Christmas,* 
and  always  in  the  afternoon  of  General  Election,  the  last 
Wednesday  in  May,  when  the  legislature  convened,  until  the 
State  Constitution  was  altered.  Tliis  was  generally  regarded 
as  a  holiday  throughout  the  State,  and  especially  in  Boston. 
Artillery  Election,  the  first  Monday  in  June,  —  the  great  cele- 
bration of  the  Ancient  and  Honorable  Artillery  Company 
which  was  then  a  flourishing  organization,  —  was  another 
occasion  when  places  of  business  were  usually  closed,  and  we 
had  a  part  of  the  day,  sometimes  almost  the  whole  day,  to 
ourselves.  And  the  same  was  the  case  on  Independence 
Day.  Harvard  College  Commencement  Day  and  Fast  Day 
were  often  partial  holidays.  When  we  were  obliged  to 
"  train,"  we  were  of  course  excused  from  the  store  so  long  as 
necessary. 

During  my  stay  in  Boston  I  saw  several  executions  on  the 
Neck,  not  far  from  the  spot  which  was  afterwards  Blackstone 
Square.  The  rush  of  people  on  such  occasions  was  so  great 
that  we  shut  up  the  store  for  two  or  three  hours.  It  was  in 
November,  1819,  I  think,  that  I  saw  four  pirates  hung,  and 
on  May  25,  1820,  I  witnessed  the  execution  of  Mike  Powers 
for  the  murder  of  his  nephew.     But  after  I  had  seen  a  few 


*  1874,  Dec.  25.  56  years  ago  today  I,  with  George  May  and  many 
others  of  the  South  End,  skated  up  to  Woburn  on  the  Middlesex  Canal. 
^Journal  of  A.  D.  if.] 


96  APPRENTICE   DAYS. 

such  sights  and  had  grown  out  of  boyhood,  I  could  not  be 
induced  to  attend  an  exhibition  of  this  kind. 

]\Ir.  John  D.  Williams  had  the  habit  of  alluding  frequently 
to  the  performance  of  a  smart  young  man,  Harry  Hills,  who 
was  with  him  when  lie  began  business,  and  who  did  once 
upon  a  time  "  beat  up,"  that  is,  empty  and  rebarrel,  a  hogs- 
head of  sugar  before  breakfast.  This  was  considered  a  good 
morning^s  work,  and  there  was  no  doubt  about  its  being 
so.  This  story,  often  repeated,  at  length  aroused  in  me 
the  determination  to  out-do  Harry  Hills.  When,  one  April 
morning,  Mr.  Williams  directed  me  to  begin  early  the  next 
morning  to  take  out  some  hogshead-sugar  and  marked  two 
hogsheads,  saying  that  to  beat  up  these  would  probably 
be  a  good  day's  work,  I  decided  that  my  opportunity  had 
come. 

I  arose  soon  after  midnight  and  began  my  task.  I  had  all 
the  sugar  taken  out  of  both  hogsheads,  put  into  barrels,  and 
all  the  barrels  headed  up,  excejjt  one  to  show  what  I  had 
done,  before  Mr.  Williams  came  into  the  store  early  in  the 
morning.  The  first  thing  which  caught  his  eye  was  the  two 
large  empty  hogsheads.  "  What  upon  earth  have  you  done 
with  the  sugar  that  was  in  those  hogsheads  last  night,"  he 
exclaimed,  "  and  how  did  you  do  it  ?  "  I  replied  that  I  arose 
quite  early,  and  as  I  didn't  consider  it  much  of  a  job,  I 
thought  I  would  finish  it  before  breakfast.  The  old  gentle- 
man appeared  much  pleased ;  and  never  again  did  we  hear  of 
Harry  Hills'  great  exploit. 

On  the  first  day  of  March,  1819,  I  began  a  diary  which  I 
have  continued  to  the  present  time  (1855).*  On  referring  to 
this  diary,  I  find  recorded  commonplace  events ;  yet  I  like  to 
read  it  over,  as  it  recalls  to  my  mind  many  pleasant  things. 
In  writing  these  lines  I  shall  refer  to  it  frequently  to  refresh 


*  It  was  continued  systematically  throughout  life.     The  last  entry  was 
made  less  than  twelve  hours  before  death. 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  97 

my  memory  of  past  events,  and  I  shall  make  entries  from  it 
as  I  find  them  recorded. 

In  July,  1819,  while  I  was  at  work  in  the  back  store,  I 
noticed  three  men  passing  down  to  the  rear  of  the  building, 
two  of  whom  were  of  such  suspicious  appearance  that  I 
stepped  out  of  the  store  to  the  fence,  and  watched  them 
through  the  palings.  I  saw  the  party  stop  and  play  cards, 
and  it  soon  became  clear  that  two  of  them  were  cheating  the 
third,  who  evidently  was  a  countryman  and  who  was  fast  los- 
ing his  money.  When  his  money  was  gone,  the  victim  was 
induced  to  put  up  his  watch  which  the  others  claimed  to  have 
won,  whereupon  ensued  a  loud,  wordy  dispute.  Finally  as 
the  pair  seized  the  watch  and  started  off  with  it,  I  shouted 
lustily  for  them  to  stop  and  made  after  them.  One  succeeded 
in  getting  away,  but  I  caught  the  other,  Lynfield  by  name, 
and,  with  the  aid  of  Gridley  Bridge,  a  truckman  who  came  to 
my  assistance,  managed  to  hold  him.  The  result  was  that 
Lynfield  was  brought  to  trial,  found  guilty  of  the  charges, 
chiefly  on  my  evidence  in  court  corroborated  by  the  testimony 
of  Bridge,  and  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  about  a  year. 
A  couple  of  years  later  Bridge,  being  in  a  low  resort,  received 
a  severe  beating  from  Lynfield  who  thus  took  revenge  for 
Bridge's  part  in  his  conviction.  So  much  for  keeping  bad 
company.  As  I  visited  no  such  places  I  escaped  the  malice 
of  this  convict ;  but  the  affair  served  as  a  warning  to  me  to 
be  cautious  where  I  went,  and  also  as  to  the  company  which  I 
should  not  keep. 

The  first  and  only  time  I  recollect  going  to  a  horse-race  was 
in  September,  1820,  at  Cambridge.  An  old  neighbor  in  Attle- 
borough,  Benjamin  Balcom,  had  a  noted  horse  named  Watch- 
eye,  which  was  a  competitor ;  he  was  at  the  beginning  of  the 
race  the  favorite,  and  was  first  in  one  of  the  heats.  The 
contest  was  close,  but  Watcheye  was  defeated  in  the  end. 
Although  I  found  the  event  interesting  and  exciting,  I  noticed 
that  only  few  persons  of  evident  respectability  were  present. 


98  APPRENTICE   DAYS. 

while  by  far  the  greater  number  were  not  of  the  kind  of 
which  I  could  be  proud,  or  with  which  I  should  wish  to 
associate ;  and  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  not  any 
recommendation  to  a  young  man  who  valued  his  good  name 
to  attend  these  races, 

I  made  very  many  pleasant  acquaintances  and  formed  many 
friendships  during  my  stay  in  Boston.  Mr.  Isaac  Clark,  a 
cousin  of  my  Providence  friend  John  J.  Stimson,  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  firm  when  I  arrived.  In  1822,  John  L. 
Emmons,  afterwards  my  business  partner,  became  a  clerk  in 
the  store.  I  renewed  my  acquaintance  with  Minor  S.  Lincoln, 
who  had  been  with  me  at  George  Gilbert's  in  Providence. 
But  the  number  is  too  great  for  enumeration.  Many  friends 
from  Norton  and  Providence  came  to  visit  Boston  and  some 
remained  here.  My  employers  introduced  me  to  many  de- 
lightful families  where  I  met  many  delightful  ladies  as  well 
as  members  of  my  own  sex.  I  had  many  opportunities  for 
social  pleasures  of  which,  being  fond  of  music  and  dancing 
and  society,  I  availed  myself,  perhaps  to  too  great  an  extent 
for  a  young  man  in  my  position.  I  have  already  stated  my 
salary.  My  expenses  for  the  year  ending  July  1,  1821,  were 
$81.67 ;  for  the  year  ending  July  1,  1822  (including  my 
uniform),  ti^lOO.OO.  When  I  had  been  in  Boston  three  years, 
my  savings  amounted  to  forty  dollars,  which  I  deposited  in 
the  savings  bank.  At  the  end  of  my  service  with  the  firm  of 
J.  D.  &  M.  Williams,  on  the  first  of  April,  1823,  the  balance 
of  wages  due  me  was  just  two  hundred  dollars. 

I  had  felt  at  various  times  that  my  book-learning  was  not 
so  adequate  to  the  requirements  of  a  business  man  as  it  had 
seemed  when  I  left  school,  or  as  extensive  as  I  could  desire. 
So  on  New  Year's  day,  1821,  I  made  a  good  resolution,  and 
arising  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  studied  two  hours 
before  going  to  the  store.  This  custom  of  beginning  the  day 
with  an  hour  or  two  of  study  I  maintained  for  a  long  time 
with  considerable  regularity.     That  the  extra  hours  of  work 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  99 

did  not  seriously  injure  my  health  and  powers  of  endurance 
would  appear  from  the  fact  that  on  January  4,  1822  (as  the 
diary  tells),  I  won  fifty  cents  of  Daniel  Weld  by  standing  one 
hour  without  an  overcoat  in  the  middle  of  the  street  on  the 
Neck,  facing  the  north,  the  thermometer  being  at  eight  de- 
grees below  zero. 

I  also  wrote  several  articles  for  the  New  England  Galaxy 
(to  which  periodical  I  subscribed),  and  a  couple  of  my  offer- 
ings were  accepted  and  printed.  Whenever  a  speaker  of  note 
delivered  an  oration,  I  was  present  if  it  was  possible. 

Through  the  kindness  of  friends  I  was  able  occasionally  to 
attend  the  rehearsals  and  oratorios  of  the  Handel  and  Haydn 
Society  during  my  last  two  years  in  Boston.  This  was  a  great 
treat  for  me.  My  uncle,  Thomas  Danforth,  was  an  enthusi- 
astic musician,  and  perhaps  from  him  I  had  acquired  a  love 
of  music  wliich  I  had  had  few  opportunities  to  satisfy  since 
leaving  Norton. 

The  principal  —  in  the  beginning  at  least  almost  the  only  — 
public  place  of  amusement  for  me  was  the  theatre  ;  for  there 
were  few  concerts  and  no  lectures  or  other  attractions  of 
unexceptional  character.  I  went  to  the  theatre  half  a  dozen 
times  a  year,  besides  going  to  see  the  afterpieces  the  price  of 
admission  to  which  was  much  lowered.  I  went  generally 
to  the  Federal  Street  theatre  —  for  the  first  time  in  October, 
1818,  when  I  saw  the  play  of  "  John  Bull  or  the  Englishman's 
Friend,"  which  deeply  impressed  me.  I  also  went  several 
times  to  the  new  Washington  Garden  theatre,  called  the 
Amphitheatre,  and  once  or  twice  to  the  Columbian  Museum. 
I  saw  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  principal  actors  who  came  to 
Boston  in  that  period.  On  February  19,  1821,  I  saw  Edmund 
Kean  play  Hamlet  in  the  Federal  Street  theatre.  The  older 
people  said  that  he  was  the  greatest  actor  on  the  stage  since 
the  days  of  Garrick.  At  Kean's  benefit  the  box-tickets  sold 
at  auction  for  four  dollars  and  thirty-three  cents  each,  an  un- 
heard-of price  for  those  days.     I  bought  a  ticket  for  the  pit 


100  APPRENTICE   DAYS. 

at  fifty  cents,  which  was  as  much  as  I  thought  I  could  afford. 
I  was  very  indignant  on  May  25,  1821,  when  Kean  refused 
to  phiy  before  a  respectful  audience  because  the  house  was 
not  filled,  and  left  Boston  the  next  day  amid  great  excite- 
ment ;  but  on  the  28th  of  the  same  month  I  went  to  see  the 
"  Determined  Rival  of  Kean "  (Kemble),  and  laughed  my 
indignation  away. 

Those  were  the  days  of  glory  of  the  old  Federal  Street 
theatre.  They  were  the  days  of  Edmund  Kean,  Thomas  A. 
Cooper,  J.  W.  Wallack,  —  how  splendidly  Mr.  W.  played 
Rolla^  —  of  Conway,  Finn,  Kilner,  Mrs.  Powell,  Mrs.  Barnes 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  I.  Barnes,  Bernard  the  elder,  Dickson,  and 
a  host  of  other  popular  actors.  One  actor  whom  I  saw  there 
for  the  first  time  in  the  play  of  "  John  Bull,"  mentioned 
above,  when  he  performed  the  part  of  Dan,  was  that  old  Bos- 
ton favorite,  John  Bray.  He  pleased  my  youthful  fancy  so 
exceedingly  that  my  memory  seems  to  find  in  no  one  since  his 
day  his  equal  in  certain  lines  of  character.  (I  beg  pardon, 
Mr.  Warren,*  for  this  remark.)  How  he  would  delight  the 
children  and  youth,  and  how  he  would  bring  down  the  house 
by  liis  drolling  and  exquisite  comic  acting !  His  very  ap- 
pearance on  the  stage,  before  he  had  uttered  a  word,  would 
set  the  house  in  a  roar.  He  resided  in  this  country  for  seven- 
teen years,  and  then,  on  account  of  a  complicated  disease, 
went  back  to  England  in  hopes  of  finding  health  on  her  shores. 
But  the  journey  exhausted  him,  and  on  June  19,  1822,  the 
third  day  after  reaching  the  house  of  a  sister  in  Leeds,  this 
well-graced  actor  made  his  final  exit.  He  possessed  superior 
talents  as  an  author  and  musical  composer.  Several  of  his 
songs  were  very  popular  here.  He  left  behind  him  in  man- 
usciipt  a  number  of  dramas  and  translations.  Years  after- 
wards I  met  one  of  his  relations  and  read  with  interest  a  play 
translated  from  the  French  by  this  well-educated  actor. 

*  William  Warren  of  the  Boston  Museum  company. 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  101 

I  was  allowed  to  visit  my  mother  in  Norton  not  unfre- 
quently,*  and  occasionally  my  old  master,  Mr.  Gilbert,  in 
Providence.  At  both  places  I  always  received  a  warm  wel- 
come and  kind  hospitality ;  and  always  meeting  many  old 
friends,  these  trips  were  ever  made  delightful.  I  find  that 
when  I  had  been  in  Boston  three  years,  I  had  passed  from 
Norton  to  Boston  thirteen  times.  Once  or  twice  I  made  the 
trip  in  a  vehicle.  Usually  I  went  on  foot  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  way  —  a  couple  of  times  all  the  way  —  starting  at 
3.30  or  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  walking  until  about 
noon,  when  I  would  stop  at  some  tavern  for  my  dinner  and 
finish  my  journey  on  the  stage-coach  when  it  came  along. 
Thus  on  Saturday,  June  13,  1821,  I  started  from  Boston  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  walked  to  Policy's  tavern  (in 
Walpole),  where  I  dined  at  noon,  riding  the  remaining  twelve 
miles  to  Providence  on  the  stage.  I  stopped  at  Mr.  Gilbert's, 
and  in  the  evening  went  out  walking  with  a  party  of  friends. 
On  Tuesday  I  went  to  Norton  to  visit  my  mother,  and  then, 
on  Saturday,  to  Taunton  to  stay  over  Sunday  with  George 
Morey.  On  Monday,  July  2,  I  started  from  Taunton  and 
walked  as  far  as  Bugbee's  tavern  in  Roxbury,  and  then  took 
the  stage  into  Boston.  Occasionally  some  acquaintance,  over- 
taking me,  gave  me  a  lift.  I  was  fond  of  walking  and  never 
was  so  tired,  on  getting  to  my  destination,  as  to  be  unable  to 
join  in  any  jollity  which  might  then  be  proposed. 

In  the  fall  of  1819  I  was  served  with  the  following  notice 
which  I  have  preserved  among  my  papers.  Apparently  I  did 
not  give  sufficient  heed  to  this  notice,  for  among  my  papers  I 
find  a  second.     (See  following  pages.) 

*  His  diary  and  account  book  show  that  he  ahnost  always  carried  or 
forwarded  some  present  to  his  mother  or  his  brothers  and  sisters;  now 
and  then  to  a  friend.  And  he  often  received  from  liis  mother  a  present, 
generally  an  useful  article,  a  pair  of  stockings,  for  instance. 


NOTICE  TO  APPEAR   FOR   MILITIA  DUTY. 

(102) 


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FINE   FOR    NEGLECT   OF  ORDERS. 


(103) 


104 


APPRENTICE   DAYS. 


A  third  notice,  received  in  the  Spring  of  1820,  obtained  my 
prompt  attention.     It  read  as  follows  :  — 


S 


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Id 

o 


Accordingly  on  May  2,  1820,  I  made  my  first  appearance 
on  the  field  as  a  soldier,  having  been  furnished  at  the  store 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  105 

with  the  lawful  equipment,  wliich  included  a  large  old- 
fashioned  musket,  weighing  about  ten  pounds,  of  the  kind 
called  "  the  old  Queen's  arms." 

At  this  jDcriod  all  men  of  the  age  of  eighteen  to  forty-five, 
with  some  exceptions,  were  obliged  to  "  bear  arms,"  as  it  was 
termed ;  and  those  who  did  not  do  duty  in  a  volunteer  or 
"  independent  "  company,  were  "  warned  "  to  "  train  "  in  a 
"  standing  "  or  "  ward  "  militia  company. 

Our  captain's  company,  nicknamed  "  Silver  Heels "  and 
"  South-end  Rakes,"  was  a  mixed  and  motley  crew.  His 
"  beat "  extended  over  a  large  territory  and  included  all 
South  Boston,  whose  residents  at  this  time  were  largely 
brickmakers.  As  these  came  on  the  ground  in  their  working 
dress,  we  were  very  fortunate  if  at  the  end  of  the  drill  we 
were  not  well  "  clayed  up."  We  South  End  boys  generally 
managed  to  get  together  in  the  ranks  without  regard  to  our 
heights.  The  trainings  were  apt  to  be  complete  burlesques, 
and  were  abolished  in  Massachusetts  in  1835,  I  think.  But 
we  enjoyed  them  greatly,  as  they  were  always  occasions  for 
much  sport  and  laughter.  Captain  Harrington  was  most 
pleasant  and  amiable,  and  not  very  particular  about  sizing  his 
company ;  and  if  one  soldier  very  short  stood  beside  another 
very  tall,  this  did  not  appear  to  him  to  be  a  matter  of  much 
moment. 

The  next  year  a  number  of  the  young  men  at  the  South 
End  decided  that  it  would  be  decidedly  pleasanter  and 
altogether  better  to  train  by  themselves.  This  decision 
resulted  in  the  formation  of  a  company  called,  first.  The 
Suffolk  Light  Infantry,  and  a  little  later.  The  Boston  City 
Guards. 

On  the  first  day  of  May,  1821,  in  an  old  red  store  occupied 
by  Savels  &  Reynolds  and  situated  in  front  of  the  gas  house 
on  the  Neck,  I  drew  up  a  proposition  for  an  Independent 
Company.  The  heading  of  the  paper  read  nearly  as  fol- 
lows :  — 


106  APPRENTICE  DAYS. 

We  the  Undersigned  agree  to  form  an  Independent  Company 
to  be  raised  hj  the  Young  Men  at  the  South  End  of  Boston,  Pro- 
vided a  Sufficient  Number  of  Signatures  can  be  obtained.  We 
fui'ther  agree  tliat  one  object  in  forming  this  association  is  to  raise 
a  Company  to  be  conducted  upon  the  most  economical  Plan.  It 
is  understood  that  the  Uniform  is  to  be  Dark  Blue  Coats,  White 
pants  and  the  Common  Hats. 

The  paper  was  signed  by  about  forty  persons,  of  whom  only 
about  seventeen  became  afterwards  active  members  of  the 
corps.  Our  first  meeting  was  held  on  May  15,  at  William 
Fenno's  eating  house  on  School  Street.  I  was  elected  chair- 
man, and  although  without  previous  experience,  managed 
to  direct  the  proceedings  satisfactorily.  About  twenty-five 
signers  to  the  paper  were  present.  A  committee,  consisting 
of  John  A.  Savels  (chairman),  A.  D.  Hodges  and  John 
Marsh,  was  appointed  to  draw  up  a  petition  to  the  Governor 
and  Council  for  a  charter,  and  was  requested  to  secure  the 
approval  of  the  project  by  Col.  Samuel  H.  Parker  and  other 
officers  of  the  3rd  regiment  of  militia. 

John  A.  Savels,  who  was  indefatigable  in  his  efforts  to 
make  the  project  a  success,  drew  up  the  petition,  which  re- 
ceived over  fifty  signatures.  The  committee  visited  Colonel 
Parker  and  the  other  field  officers  of  his  regiment,  and  ob- 
tained their  assent  and  aid.  Then  the  committee,  supported 
by  others  who  were  interested,  went  before  the  Governor  and 
Council,  and  were  granted  a  charter  for  The  Suffolk  Light 
Infantry. 

In  August,  1821,  the  West  Point  Cadets,  under  command 
of  Major  Worth,  visited  Boston,  and  their  arrival  increased 
the  military  ardor  of  the  young  men  here.  The  corps  en- 
camped on  Faxon's  Hill,  Roxbury,  on  the  south  side  of  what 
is  now  Tremont  Street.  Their  camp  was  just  opposite  the 
famous  Brinley  place,  where  General  Henry  Dearborn  then 
resided,  and  where  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help 


APPRENTICE  DAYS.  107 

now  stands.*  A  number  of  us  visited  their  camp  and  studied 
their  drill  and  discipline.  And  such  drill  I  such  discipline ! 
They  were  a  revelation  to  us. 

After  the  charter  had  been  obtained,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  nominate  the  commissioned  officers.  This  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  John  A.  Savels,  Amos  Cummings  and 
John  Whitney,  called  on  John  Farrel,  Jr.,  a  sergeant  of  the 
Winslow  Blues,  and  offered  him  the  command ;  but  after 
deliberation  this  gentleman  declined  the  proposition  to  be- 
come a  candidate  for  the  captaincy.  Then  the  committee 
waited  on  John  S.  Tyler,  orderly  sergeant  of  the  Boston 
Light  Infantry.  He  consented,  and  also  suggested  the  names 
of  William  A.  Dickerman  and  of  Henry  A.  Huggeford  (a 
corporal  of  his  company)  for  the  offices  of  lieutenant  and  of 
ensign.     The  committee  nominated  all  three. 

On  the  evening  of  Sejjtember  21,  the  company  was  called 
together  at  Fenno's  for  the  election  of  officers.  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Ralph  Huntington  of  the  3rd  Regiment  presided,  and 
Adjutant  Richardson  acted  as  recorder.  The  following  were 
elected  unanimously:  John  S.  Tyler,  captain;  William  A. 
Dickerman,  lieutenant;  Henry  A.  Huggeford,  ensiyn. 

Captain  Tjder  was  notified  of  his  election,  and  being  brought 
to  the  meeting,  made  a  patriotic  speech  in  Ms  usual  happy 
manner. 

The  company  then  elected  the  following  warrant  officers : 
John  Marsh,  1st  se7'geant ;  John  A.  Savels,  2d  do. ;  Amos 
Cummings,!  3d  do. ;  Almon  D.  Hodges,  4^A  do. ;  James  Gush- 
ing, 1st  corporal ;  John  Whitney,  2d  do.  ;  Isaac  Nevers,  3d  do.  ; 
Wm.  E.  Chamberlain,  4^7i  do. 

*  A  detailed  description  of  the  Brinley  place  and  an  account  of  this 
visit  of  the  West  Point  Cadets  are  given  in  Drake's  Toion  of  Roxbury, 
pages  326  to  337. 

t  1868,  April  24.  Died  this  day  in  Boston  Amos  Cummings,  president 
of  the  Boylston  Bank,  the  last  survivor  (except  myself)  of  the  non- 
commissioned officers  of  the  old  City  Guards  in  1822.  [Journal  of 
A.  D.  H.] 


108 


APPRENTICE  DAYS. 


O 

I 

0 


The  three  first-named  officers  received  their  commissions  on 
Saturday,  September  22 ;  and  on  the  following  Monday  the 
company  turned  out  in  citizen's  dress  in  the  Boston  brigade 
for  inspection  and  review. 

Now  began  a  series  of  frequent  drills  and  exercises  and 
marches,  —  these  last  sometimes  extending  over  a  space  of 
several  days,  —  by  which  the  company  was  brought  rapidly 
into  excellent  military  shape. 


APPRENTICE  DAYS.  109 

On  October  13,  it  was  voted  to  adopt  the  uniform  of  gray 
coat,  wliite  pants  and  cap  with  plume,*  after  the  fashion  of 
the  West  Point  Cadets.  On  March  4,  1822,  by  unanimous 
vote  the  name  of  the  company  was  changed  from  The  Suffolk 
Light  Infantry  to  The  City  Guards,  under  which  appellation 
it  had  a  long  and  successful  career.  [At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  War  it  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  13th  Massachusetts 
Infantry,  a  gallant  three-years  regiment.] 

The  City  Guards  made  their  first  appearance  in  public  on 
April  17,  1822,  when  they  acted  as  escort  at  the  funeral  of 
General  Porter.  They  made  their  first  public  parade  on  May 
1,  1822,  under  command  of  Captain  Tyler,  with  the  Brigade 
Band,  at  the  inauguration  of  Boston's  first  mayor,  John 
Phillips.  They  were  all  young  men,  the  captain,  who  was  26 
years  of  age,  being  the  eldest.  There  were  seventy-five  men 
present,  who  turned  out  as  a  battalion,  and  I  acted  as  captain 
of  the  fourth  company.  After  the  parade  the  company  dined 
at  the  Exchange  Coffee  House  by  invitation  of  the  commis- 
sioned officers. 

On  August  26,  Mr.  Benjamin  P.  Homer  of  Beacon  Street 
presented  us  with  a  standard,  after  which  we  marched  through 
Roxbury,  stopping  at  the  residence  of  General  Dearborn,  and 
encamped  for  the  night  at  Brighton.  The  next  day  we 
marched  to  Cambridge,  where  we  had  a  public  drill  on  the 
Common,  and  thence  marched  back  to  headquarters  in 
Boston. 

I  was  a  very  enthusiastic  member  of  the  corps  and  very 
constant  in  my  attendance  at  drills  and  parades.  I  took  every 
occasion  to  improve  myself  in  military  knowledge,  and  to  test 
my  acquirements  and  ability.  I  often  visited  and  studied  the 
encampments   of    other  companies.     On  Independence    Day, 


*  The  expense  account  of  A.  D.  H.  contains  these  items:  For  uniform 
coat,  $12.50;  for  pantaloons,  $3.00;  for  City  Guard  cap,  •$•4.25;  for  plume, 
•$3.25;  for  sword  belt,  $1.50. 


110  APPRENTICE  DAYS. 

1822,  being  in  Norton  witli  my  uniform,  I  gladly  accepted 
the  invitation  of  Captain  Perry*  to  act  as  adjutant,  and  form- 
ing the  Norton  Artillery  Company  in  battalion  order,  with 
them  escorted  the  procession  to  the  Meeting-House,  where 
Laban  M.  Wheaton  delivered  an  oration. 

Perhaps  if  I  were  to  live  my  life  over  again,  I  should  have 
doubts  as  to  the  wisdom  of  devoting  so  much  time  to  military 
matters  as  I  did  while  a  member  of  the  City  Guards.  Yet  I 
did  not  join  the  company  merely  for  the  purpose  of  amuse- 
ment, but  with  the  earnest  intention  of  learning  the  duties  of 
a  citizen  soldier.  My  father  sought  constantly  by  precept 
and  example  to  imbue  the  minds  of  his  children  with  correct 
ideas  of  their  duties  to  their  neighbors  and  to  their  country. 
He  had  shown  his  own  loyalty  by  service  in  the  Revolution,  a 
fact  of  which  we  were  very  proud,  and  he  believed  strongly  in 
a  well-drilled  militia.  I  loved  and  respected  my  father,  and 
was  influenced  greatly  by  his  teachings.  And  I  am  quite 
sure  that  I  benefitted  much  by  the  drill  and  discipline,  and 
by  my  association  with  members  of  this  fine  company,  many 
of  whom  afterwards  achieved  high  rank  and  reputation  both 
in  civil  life  and  in  the  military  service  of  their  country. 

On  February  24,  1823,  the  City  Guards  celebrated  Wash- 
ington's Birth  Day  by  a  splendid  ball  at  the  Marlboro  Hotel. 
On  account  of  my  proposed  removal  from  Boston,  I  felt  that 
probably  this  would  be  my  last  meeting  with  the  company, 
and,  determined  to  make  the  best  of  it,  I  danced  every  dance 
and  enjoyed  myself  thoroughly. 

On  January  25,  1822,  occurred  rny  twenty-first  birthday. 
To  some  friends  who  called  on  me  in  the  evening  I  gave  a 
supper  of  poached  eggs. 

*  1873,  Sept.  8.  Died  in  Norton,  Sept.  4,  Lemuel  Perry,  aged  91  years 
and  11  months.  He  was  captain  of  the  old  Norton  Artillery  Company  in 
1822,  when,  acting  as  adjutant,  I  drilled  the  company  in  dress  parade. 
This  was  then  something  new.  I  saw  it  on  Boston  Common  a  few  days 
previous,  done  by  the  West  Point  Cadets.     [Journal  of  A.  D.  U.] 


APPRENTICE  DAYS.  Ill 

For  more  tlian  a  year  I  had  concerned  myself  somewhat 
with  political  matters,  had  attended  several  caucuses,  and 
had  taken  especial  interest  in  two  subjects  then  under  discus- 
sion :  the  revision  of  the  State  Constitution,  and  the  adoption 
of  a  city  government  by  Boston.  On  March  4,  1822,  I  cast 
my  first  vote,  which  was  in  favor  of  adopting  a  city  govern- 
ment. On  the  first  day  of  April  following  I  voted  again, 
casting  my  ballot  for  John  Brooks  and  William  Phillips,  the 
Fedei'al  candidates  for  governor  and  lieutenant-governor,  who 
were  elected. 

After  I  had  passed  my  twenty-first  milestone,  I  began  to 
think  that  it  was  getting  high  time  for  me  to  begin  business 
on  my  own  account,  and  before  I  had  finished  my  twenty- 
second  mile  ni}^  mind  was  pretty  well  made  up  on  this  point. 
My  Providence  friend,  John  J.  Stimson,  and  I  had  talked 
over  the  subject  together,  and  in  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1823  were  well  on  the  way  towards  forming  a  business  co- 
partnership. Mr.  George  Gilbert,  my  former  master,  had  been 
unfortunate  in  business  during  recent  years.  Early  in  1820 
he  had  suspended  and  at  the  end  of  1822  he  failed.  Mr. 
Stimson  was  winding  up  the  business,  and  it  seemed  to  us 
both  that  this  would  be  a  favorable  time  and  place  for  us  to 
make  a  start.  I  had  written  to  Mr.  Stimson  on  hearing  the 
news  of  Mr.  Gilbert's  failure,  and  in  reply  received  the  fol- 
lowing letter :  — 

Pkovidence,  Jany  2,  1822. 
Friend  Hodges : 

Your  fav.  28  Dec.  was  rec^  in  due  season.  As  it  respects  capi- 
tal t&c.  I  can  say  no  more  than  I  told  you  when  in  Boston.  That 
is  that  my  Capital  is  but  little  over  $1000.  If  my  partner  had 
any  more  than  myself  I  should  of  course  expect  to  pay  him  such 
Interest  as  to  make  it  even.  If  less,  I  should  expect  the  same 
of  him. 

I  think  that  business  may  be  done  to  a  profit  in  this  store  with 
a  Capital  of  only  $2000,  and  a  capital  of  5  or  6  thousand  may  also 
be  profitably  employed.     I  presume  M.  Lincoln  has  told  you  the 


112  APPRENTICE  DAYS, 

situation  of  affairs  &  that  I  am  bringing  Mr.  Gilbert's  business  to 
a  close  as  fast  as  possible.  If  I  take  the  store  I  shall  probably 
have  to  begin  to  pa^^  rent  as  soon  or  very  soon  after  his  goods  are 
out.  Of  course  it  will  be  necessary  to  come  to  some  conclusion 
before  a  great  while.  If  you  can  conclude  what  you  will  be  able 
to  do,  and  what  willing  to  do,  even  if  you  did  not  come  until 
spring,  I  might  set  the  mill  to  running  slowly  and  keep  myself 
busy  through  the  winter. 

The  main  object  at  present  is  to  conclude  upon  somet/rhtg,  for 
if  I  do  not  have  the  store  the  owner  will  want  to  let  some  one 
else  have  it,  for  she  is  poor  and  wants  all  the  rent  she  can  get. 

Yours  in  haste 

J.  J.  Stimson. 

N.  B.     Please  write  as  soon  as  possible  by  mail. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  with  my  friend  John  Marsh,  I 
drove  in  a  chaise  to  Providence,  starting  at  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  arriving  at  noon.  Mr.  Stimson  and  I  discussed 
the  matter  at  length,  and  came  to  a  detailed  agreement  to 
form  a  partnership,  provided  that  J.  D.  &  M.  Williams  would 
release  me  on  or  about  the  first  of  April  from  my  engagement 
with  them  which  did  not  terminate  until  July.  I  returned  to 
Boston  the  next  afternoon  and  very  soon  was  talking  over  the 
subject  with  my  employers. 

I  had  no  difficulty  at  all  in  effecting  an  arrangement.  They 
met  me  in  the  kindliest  spirit,  inquired  into  all  the  details  of 
my  plan,  agreed  with  me  that  the  time  was  favorable  and  the 
chances  of  success  good,  gave  me  excellent  advice,  showed 
tliat  tliey  regarded  my  interests  as  more  important  than  any 
inconveniences  which  might  result  to  them,  and  waiving  any 
rights  of  their  own,  gave  me  full  permission  to  leave  their 
employ  at  the  time  selected  by  Mr.  Stimson  and  myself. 
Moreover,  of  their  own  accord,  knowing  my  lack  of  funds, 
they  offered  to  loan  me  one  thousand  dollars  without  security 
if  I  should  desire  this. 


APPRENTICE  DAYS.  113 

I  notified  Mr.  Stimson  of  the  result,  and  soon  after  he  wrote 

me  as  follows  : 

Providence,  Feby  11,  1823. 

X"-  Sir. 

Agreeably  to  our  former  arrangement  I  sold  out  Mr.  G^  stock 
last  Wednesday  and  took  possession  of  the  store  yesterday  for 
acc't  of  Stimson  &  Hodges. 

Our  good  friend  Bowen  found  out  by  some  means  or  other  that 
we  had  some  dependence  upon  having  the  store,  and  took  it  into 
his  wise  head  to  raise  the  rent  20  Dollars,  and  said  that  if  we  did 
not  take  it  at  that  price,  there  was  another  man  ready  to  take  it. 
Finally  I  concluded  that  I  would  not  let  20  Dollars  prevent  our 
commencing  business  and  told  him  I  would  take  it. 

Yours  in  haste 

John  J.  Stimson. 

N.  B.  I  am  going  to  Norton  to-morrow  and  shall  sell  that  stock 
on  Tuesday  next.     Please  write  me  at  Norton. 

I  intended  leaving  Boston  on  April  1,  but  the  night  before 
such  a  deep  snow  fell  (about  3  feet)  that  it  was  feared  the 
coaches  would  not  get  through,  and  so  my  journey  was  post- 
poned until  April  3,  when  I  started  in  the  stage  for  Provi- 
dence to  begin  business  there.  The  company  in  the  coach 
was  jovial,  and  I  was  commencing  a  new  life  ;  yet  I  was  in 
low  spirits—  a  condition  unusual  with  me.  For  I  was  leav- 
ing the  best  of  employers  with  whom  I  had  lived  nearly  five 
happy  years,  during  which  I  had  been  treated  always  with  the 
greatest  kindness  and  consideration,  more  indeed  like  a  son 
than  an  apprentice.  But  I  did  not  weaken  in  my  resolution, 
nor  in  any  way  doubt  the  wisdom  of  my  action  ;  and  I  entered 
Providence  without  any  fears  as  to  the  future  success  of  the 
new  firm  of  Stimson  &  Hodges. 

Postscripts. 
A.     1863,  Feb.  8.     Died  in  Brookline  [Mass.]  this  day,  Hon. 
Nathan  Hale,  aged  79.     He  published  the  Weekly  Messenger,  the 
first  newsx^aper  which  I  ever  read.     \Journal  of  A.  D.  II.'\ 


114  APPRENTICE  DAYS. 

[The  Boston  Weekly  Messenger  was  an  octavo  periodical, 
with  no  advertisements,  provided  with  an  Index  at  the  end  of  the 
year,  and  was  pubHshed  by  Nathan  Hale  at  the  office  of  the  Bos- 
ton Daily  Advertiser,  No.  3,  Congress  Street,  at  the  time  referred 
to.  The  terms  were  -$2i  per  annum  if  paid  in  advance;  otherwise 
$3.] 

B.  New  England  Galaxy.  Boston :  Pul)lished  every  Fri- 
day evening  by  Joseph  T.  Buckingham,  No.  4,  Spear's  Building, 
Congress-street,  corner  of  Lindall-street.  Terms  —  Three  Dollars 
a  Year,  —  One  Dollar  for  three  Months,  —  payable  in  Advance. 

Two  of  the  contributions  by  A.  D.  H.,  referred  to  in  the 
preceding  account  of  his  life  in  Boston,  are  here  given : 

March  1,  1822. 
OH  !   CRUEL. 

Oh  !  Cruel  is  the  mill-dam  that  keeps  the  water  out, 
And  cruel  are  the  South-end ers  who  do  not  make  a  '  rout ; ' 
Oh  !  cruel  is  the  dust  that  about  our  noses  blows, 
For  what  will  become  of  us  the  D — 1  only  knows. 
Tol  rol  loo  rol  loo,  &c. 

Oh  !  cruel  is  the  Corporation  that  does  not  mind  our  cries, 
And  cruel  is  the  dust  that  fills  brimfull  our  eyes; 
If  they  do  not  let  the  water  in,  why  prosecute  we  must, 
For  not  a  '  fardin '  do  they  care  if  we're  buried  iu  the  dust. 
Tol  rol,  &c. 

Oh  !  cruel  is  the  fate  of  all  at  the  South  End, 

We're  always  curs'd  with  something,  our  '  ways '  we  never 

mend; 
With  dead  clams,  vaults,  and  burying  grounds  our  noses  are 

regaled. 
And  now  to  top  the  climax,  the  flats  we  have  inhaled. 
Tol  rol  loo,  &c. 

Gas  Kill  Buffum. 
Washington-street,  Feb.  25. 


APPRENTICE   DAYS.  115 

Nov.  29,  1822. 
Mr.  Editor, 

The  recent  great  race  at  Washington*  reminds  me  of  one  of 
equal  importance  that  took  place  some  years  ago  in  this  State. 
There  was  a  i)urse  made  up  of  ten  doUars  (not  -1^10,000)  and  was 
to  be  run  for  bj^  two  animals  that  might  vie  with  the  one  that  the 
renowned  squire  Sancho  Panza  rode.  The  day  arrived,  the  nags 
were  brought  on  to  the  ground,  there  also  appeared  another  can- 
didate for  the  purse.  Some  roguish  boys  had  brought  on  to  the 
race  ground  a  good-natured  Hog,  "  all  saddled  and  bridled,  fit  for 
the  fight,"  to  enter  the  hst.  A  debate  arose  among  the  "  Jockey 
Club  "  whether  Hog  had  a  right  to  run  with  Horse.  It  was  finally 
concluded  that  he  had  a  perfect  right  to  contend  for  the  purse, 
being  regularly  entered. 

The  distance  to  be  run  was  eighty  rods ;  the  time  arrived,  all 
three  of  the  riders  were  mounted  and  ready  —  cui-iosity  was  on 
the  tiptoe — bets  were  four  to  one  against  Hog — a  hat  was  thrown 
into  the  air  as  the  signal  —  the  nags  Bob  and  Jennie  and  Hog 
started  together — the  nags  were  put  to  their  utmost  speed,  so  was 
Hog ;  it  was  soon  discovered  that  the  nags  were  gaining  ground  of 
Hog,  Bob  being  the  foremost ;  the  lash  and  spur  were  dealt  un- 
sparingly^, when  as  cruel  fate  would  have  it.  Bob  stumbled  and 
fell,  Jennie  being  du-ectly  in  his  wake,  pitched  over  him  and 
measured  her  length  on  the  ground,  and  amidst  the  huzzas 
and  shouts  of  the  multitude.  Hog  gained  the  race! 

Gas  Kill  Buffum. 


*The  race  between  two  noted  horses,  Eclipse  and  Sir  Charles,  one  con- 
sidered as  representing  New  York  and  the  other  Virginia,  formed  one  of 
the  newspaper  sensations  of  the  day.  An  exciting  contest  had  been 
anticipated,  but  Sir  Charles  had  strained  the  sinews  in  one  of  his  fore- 
legs and  was  easily  beaten. 


BUSINESS  LIFE  IN  feoVIDENCE. 


'HE  firm  of  Stimson  &  Hodges,  grocers,  began 
business  with  a  large  capital  of  brains,  character 
and  attractive  personality,  and  a  small  capital  of 
cash  —  just  twelve  hundred  dollars.  The  cash 
capital  of  the  junior  partner  consisted  of  his  savings  during 
liis  apprenticeship.  He  had  not  then  received  a  cent  from 
his  father's  estate,  which,  through  injudicious  management, 
decreased  greatly  in  value.  "  My  share,"  he  wrote  at  a  later 
date,  "  was  paid  to  me  in  two  or  three  installments,  the  last 
payment  being  made  about  1845.  The  whole  amount  re- 
ceived by  me  amounted  to  about  $300,  and  was  invested  by 
me  in  a  tea-set  which  cost  1310." 

Both  members  had  wide  acquaintance,  useful  experience 
and  good  credit.  The  senior  partner,  24  years  old,  had  had 
a  training  of  seven  or  eight  years  with  a  concern  which  had 
prospered  and  then  failed,  and  he  had  benefitted  by  both  the 
successes  and  the  mistakes  of  his  employer.  The  business 
education  of  the  junior  partner,  now  22  years  of  age,  has  been 
indicated  in  the  preceding  pages.  The  two  worked  together 
most  harmoniously,*  and  the  firm  was  successful  from  the 
start. 


*  I860,  Jan'y  20.  John  Jones  Stimson,  aged  61,  my  dear  old  friend 
and  former  partner,  died  this  morning  at  half-past  one,  without  previous 
warning  and  after  only  a  few  moments  of  distress.  He  was  born  June 
11,  1798.  We  were  in  business  in  Providence  from  February,  1823,  to 
February,  1845,  a  period  of  22  years,  and  probably  no  copartnership  was 
ever  more  pleasant  and  happy.  I  have  no  recollection  of  a  single  harsh 
word,  or  of  any  unpleasant  circumstance  to  be  remembered  over  night, 
during  our  whole  business  life.  He  was  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  a 
strictly  honest  and  faithful  man  and,  I  believe,  a  true  Christian.  [Jour- 
nal of  A.  D.  H.] 

(116) 


BUSINESS   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  117 

"  We  commenced  business  in  a  wooden  store  (owned  by 
Peddj  Bowen  of  Norton)  which  stood  on  the  south  corner  of 
Leonard  and  South  Water  Streets.  We  were  very  prudent 
in  all  our  expenses.  For  board  and  washing  we  paid  $2.50 
per  week  each.  Our  store  rent  was  about  $200  per  annum. 
I  think  our  whole  stock  in  trade  never  averaged  during  the 
first  year  over  -"SiSjOOO  at  any  one  time.  When  Ave  completed 
our  first  account  of  stock  (about  Feb.  14,  1824),  we  were 
pleased  to  ascertain  that,  after  paying  all  our  store  expenses, 
which  amounted  to  less  than  $400,  and  our  personal  ex- 
penses, which  were  less  than  $300  apiece,  we  had  made  clear 
about  $900,  or  $450  each.  On  May  22,  1824,  we  moved  to 
another  wooden  store  on  the  opposite  (or  northwesterly)  side 
of  Leonard  Street,  owned  by  Dr.  William  Bowen.  Our  lease, 
which  had  about  ten  months  to  run,  was  bought  of  us  for 
$300,  which  sum  was  more  than  the  whole  amount  of  rent 
that  we  had  paid  for  the  fourteen  months  during  which  we 
had  been  in  business."  * 

In  December,  1824,  the  firm  moved  to  No.  2  Market  Street, 
in  the  east  end  of  the  Union  Building.  In  January,  1828, 
another  move  was  made  to  No.  6  Market  Street  (also  in  the 
Union  Building)  which  had  been  occupied  by  the  Merchants 
Bank.  The  final  change  was  to  Nos.  9  and  11  South  Main 
Street,  "the  old  Dr.  BoAven  store,"  at  the  foot  of  College 
Street,  in  the  building  wMch  still  stands,  but  with  its  north- 
erly side  sliced  off  for  the  convenience  of  traffic.  Here  the 
firm  remained  during  the  last  twelve  years  of  its  existence, 
paying  an  annual  rent  of  six  hundred  dollars. 

The  business  grew  rapidly,  spreading  all  over  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island  and  into  many  parts  of  Connecticut  and  Massa- 
chusetts and  some  parts  of  Maine  and  New  York ;  into  New 
Jersey    and     Pennsylvania,    and    as    far    South    certainly    as 

*  Recollections  of  A.  D.  H. 


118  BUSINESS   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE. 

Georgia,*  perhaps  farther.  The  capital  doubled  itself  the 
first  year,  and  doubled  itself  again  during  the  next  two  years. 
In  seven  years  it  was  eleven  times  the  original  amount,  and 
in  1837  it  was  nearly  twenty-one  times  what  it  was  in  the 
beginning.  The  year  1837  was  one  of  very  great  disaster  in 
commercial  circles  throughout  the  United  States,  one  of  the 
most  disastrous  ever  known  in  our  country,  and  it  was  fol- 
loAved  by  a  number  of  hard  years. f  Stimson  &  Hodges 
suffered  of  course  ;  their  capital  was  decreased  nearly  two 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars  ;  and  the  net  yearly  profit,  after 
deducting  the  family  expenses  of  the  partners  as  well  as  the 
store  expenses,  fell  from  ten  thousand  dollars  to  one  half  of 
that  amount.  But  the  house  was  not  seriously  damaged  and 
soon  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  panic,  although  its 
operations  were  never  thereafter  so  profitable  as  in  some  pre- 
vious years.  This,  however,  was  due  in  part  to  other  than 
purely  business  reasons. $ 


*  1876,  Oct.  4.  Died  in  Assonet  [in  Freetown,  Mass.]  on  the  29th  of 
September,  Captain  George  Dean,  aged  80  years.  He  formerly  com- 
manded a  sloop  and  during  a  number  of  years  carried  goods  from  Provi- 
dence to  our  customers  in  Darien,  Georgia.     [Journal  of  A.  D.  H.] 

t  1837,  May  10.  This  day  will  be  long  remembered  by  the  people  of 
these  United  States  as  an  important  epoch.  This  day  the  banks  in  New 
York  suspended  specie  payments. 

May  11.  On  receipt  of  the  news  from  New  York  by  steamboat  this 
day,  the  Providence  banks  also  suspended  specie  payments;  and  it  seems 
that  the  banks  throughout  this  Republic  are  stopping  or  will  stop. 

1838,  Aug.  13.  The  banks  in  Rhode  Island,  and  in  New  England  gen- 
erally, resume  specie  payments. 

1839,  Oct.  10.  News  of  the  suspension  of  specie  payments  by  the 
United  States  Bank  at  Philadelphia.  Oct.  11.  And  by  the  Philadelphia 
and  Baltimore  banks.     Oct.  15.    The  Providence  banks  voted  to  suspend. 

Dec.  10.  Resumption  of  specie  payments  by  the  banks  in  Providence 
after  a  suspension  since  October  16.     [Journal  A.  D.  H.] 

t  As  illustrating  the  way  in  which  young  men  with  small  capital  were 
able  to  start  and  grow  in  business  in  the  ante-bellum  days,  some  figures 
relating  to  the  financial  standing  of  Stimson  &  Hodges  are  given  in 
Appendix  IV. 


BBfT 


BUSINESS   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE.  119 

In  carrying  on  the  business  the  junior  partner  seems  to 
have  done  the  greater  part  of  the  outside  work  —  making 
purchases,  drumming  up  customers,  looking  after  question- 
able accounts,  and  the  like.  His  genial  manner  and  quick 
and  kindly  humor  made  Mm  a  general  favorite,  and  these 
qualities,  combined  with  a  reputation  of  fair  dealing,  enabled 
him  to  carry  through  without  friction  many  transactions  which 
required  judicious  handling,  such  as  collecting  a  debt  or  cor- 
recting a  misunderstanding.  He  had  a  happy  faculty  of  ter- 
minating a  discussion  by  an  unexpectedly  humorous  and  apt 
rejoinder  to  an  argument,  which  compelled  his  opponent  to 
laugh — possibly  to  blush  —  and  brought  about  a  friendly 
agreement.  Moreover  he  had  an  extraordinarily  good  memory 
for  persons  and  places.  As  a  rule,  when  he  had  talked  with 
a  person  once,  on  their  next  meeting,  although  years  might 
have  elapsed  in  the  interval,  he  could  call  him  by  name  and 
tell  when,  where  and  under  what  circumstances  they  had 
come  together  previously.  He  knew  the  persons  and  the 
financial  standing  of  all  his  customers,  and  also  of  his  prin- 
cipal competitors,  throughout  a  wide  extent  of  territory.  It 
was  his  custom  to  note  in  his  Journal  the  deaths  of  those 
persons  whom  he  had  known,  generally  with  some  brief  re- 
mark in  each  case.  He  made  more  than  twenty-five  hundred 
entries  of  this  kind.  Three  of  them  written  mtliin  three 
weeks  of  his  decease,  indicate  the  strength  of  his  memorj'  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven  : 

1878,  Sept.  9.  Died  this  day  in  Worcester,  the  oldest  native- 
born  citizen  of  the  place.  General  Nathan  Heard,  aged  88  years  & 
6  months.  I  became  acquainted  with  him  on  July  4,  1829,  when 
I  visited  Worcester  with  the  Providence  Light  Infantry  as  their 
Commissary.  He  was  then  of  the  firm  of  Heard  &  Estabrooks, 
which  thereafter  was  a  customer  of  Stimson  &  Hodges. 

1878,  Sept.  14.  Died  in  Attleboro,  Mass.  Sept.  10,  Godfrey 
Wheelock,  aged  73  years,  10  mouths,  10  days,  an  old  customer  of 
Stimson  &  Hodges. 


120  BUSINESS   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE. 

1878,  Sept.  20.  I  received  this  clay  from  Joseph  W.  Clark  the 
information  that  Mrs.  Enoch  W.  Clark  (Sarah  Dodge  Clark)  died 
on  the  6th  day  of  February  last,  her  age  being  71  yrs.,  10  mos.,  6 
ds.  She  was  an  old  acquaintance.  I  remember  waiting  upon 
both  herself  and  her  sister,  Susan  Dodge  Mudge,  to  the  ball 
of  the  First  Light  Infantry  in  Providence  on  the  8th  of  January, 
1825. 

The  managers  of  a  successful  mercantile  enterprise  natu- 
rally are  chosen  to  aid  in  the  direction  of  other  business 
operations  in  which  they  are  interested.  The  junior  partner, 
besides  holding  other  less  prominent  positions,  was  a  director 
of  the  Weybosset  Bank  of  Providence  for  ten  years,  from  1833 
to  1843,  when  he  resigned,  being  at  once  elected  a  director  of 
the  National  Bank,  and  holding  this  office  until  he  moved  to 
Boston. 

A  bank  director  in  those  days  seems  to  have  had  more 
varied  duties  than  are  imposed  on  him  at  the  present  time. 
At  least  this  bank  director  inscribed  in  his  Journal  accounts 
of  various  trips  made,  on  bank  business,  to  collect  debts, 
institute  legal  proceedings,  act  as  receiver  in  cases  of  bank- 
ruptcy, attend  sessions  of  the  Legislature  when  bills  affecting 
banks  were  being  discussed,  and  for  other  purposes.  On  some 
occasions  he  acted  as  bank  messenger,  once  bringing  from 
Boston  sixteen  thousand  dollars  in  gold  for  the  Weybosset 
Bank. 

In  1836  he  invested  three  thousand  dollars  (and  at  least 
as  much  again  in  the  next  three  or  four  years)  in  the  rapidly 
growing  western  territory.  A  considerable  portion  of  tins 
investment  was  in  the  stock  of  the  Delavan  Association, 
which  developed  the  township  of  Delavan  in  Illinois.  While 
it  is  not  recorded  in  his  Journal  that  he  held  office  in  this 
association,  whose  headquarters  were  in  Taunton,  yet  he 
frequently  attended  its  meetings  and  was  active  in  the  finan- 
cial management  of  its  affairs.  In  1842  he  started  on  a  jour- 
ney with    the    intention  of  inspecting  the   western  lands  in 


BUSINESS   LIFE    IN   PROVIDENCE.  121 

which  he  and  his  associates  were  pecuniarily  interested ;  but 
proceeding  first,  for  commercial  reasons,  in  a  southerly  direc- 
tion, he  abandoned  his  original  project  when  he  reached  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  Exactly  thirteen  years  later  to  a  day,  on  May 
22,  1855,  he  recommenced  this  journey  and  this  time  com- 
pleted it. 

Although  always  intensely  interested  in  politics,  he  was 
strongly  averse  to  holding  political  office.  He  always  voted 
if  it  was  possible,  even  when  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  jour- 
ney for  the  purpose.  The  suffrage  he  deemed  a  most  impor- 
tant privilege,  and  on  the  few  occasions  when  he  was  unable 
to  cast  his  ballot,  he  noted  the  fact  and  the  reason  in  his 
Journal.*  He  was  constant  in  attendance  on  political  meet- 
ings, often  presided,  and  several  times  went  as  a  delegate  to 
conventions.  He  was  repeatedly  offered  a  nomination,  and 
his  popularity  was  so  great  that  he  could  easily  have  attained 
to  high  office  ;  but  only  twice  in  his  life  did  he  accept  the 
offer.  In  1844,  after  the  Dorr  War  in  Rhode  Island,  — per- 
haps the  most  exciting  event  in  the  local  history  of  that  State, 
when  calm  and  wise  action  on  the  part  of  the  legislature 
seemed  especially  important,  —  he  consented  to  be  a  candi- 
date for  membership,  from  Providence,  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly. He  was  elected  and  served  out  his  term,  making  his  mark 
and  being  appointed  chairman  of  several  important  commit- 
tees, and  then,  things  having  calmed  down,  declined  another 
nomination. 

In  1856,  when  the  Republican  party,  fighting  for  principles 
which  he  earnestly  advocated,  was  in  a  minority  and  his  de- 
feat was  practically  certain,  he  ran  for  the  legislature  in 
Massachusetts.  He  lost  the  election,  "  very  much  to  my 
comfort."     But  when  immediately  thereafter  he  was  offered 

*  1838,  April  12.  Taken  sick  with  inflammatory  rheumatism  and  con- 
fined to  the  bed  nearly  five  weeks.  April  IS,  Election  Day.  Did  not 
vote  —  the  first  time  since  I  have  had  the  privilege  of  voting  [i.  e.,  during 
16  years]. 


122 


BUSINESS   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE. 


the  nomination  on  the  Republican  and  American  tickets  for 
Ma^'or  of  Roxbury,  with  good  chances  of  success,  he  "  posi- 
tively declined." 

^.,™.  r>,^.r,r.^.r^,^.,  Hls  poHtlcal  convictious 

CITY  CONVENTION,  ^ 

RHODE-ISLxiND    TICKET  row,  and  he  never  was  a 

mere   partisan.     Unswerv- 
ing loyalty  to  the  govern- 


1844. 

\  '•  \  I    / 


ment  and  obedience  to  the 
law  formed  apparently  the 
first  article  of  his  creed, 
and  the  next  was  helpful 
kindness  to  his  fellows. 
To  be  a  good  citizen,  he 
declared,  one  must  be  a 
good  neighbor.  He  was 
originally  a  Whig ;  when 
the  Whig  party  dissolved, 
he  united  with  the  Re- 
publicans. He  was  mild- 
ly conservative,  objecting 
both  to  "  radicalism  "  and 
to  "  Bourbonism,"  as  these 
terms  were  applied  in  his 
days.  He  was  slow  to  an- 
ger and  abhorred  war,  the 
evil  effects  of  which  were 
early  impressed  on  him  by 
his  father,  who  neverthe- 
less  had  served  in  the  Rev- 
olution. When  the  irre- 
pressible conflict  was  beginning,  he  counselled  moderation. 
Although  deeming  slavery  a  sin  and  an  error,  he  would  end 
it  rather  by  purchasing  the  slaves  from  their  owners  and  set- 
ting them  free,  than  by  employing  violent  measures.     While 


FOR  SENATOR, 

•SJLBEUT  C,  GSEEJVE, 

FOR  REPRESENTATIVES, 

ESEK  ALDRICH, 
SAMUEL.  AMES, 
STEPHEN  BKAl«Cir, 
JABEZ  OORHAM, 
ALMON  D.  HODGES, 
SHUBAEIi  HUTCHIJ\S, 
JAMES  T.  RHODES, 
WILLIAM  SHELDON, 
JAMES  Y.  SMITH, 
OLIYER  E.  TABEK> 
ISAAC  THURBER, 
RUFIJS  WATERMAN. 

A  SUCCESSFUL  TICKET. 


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5 

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10 

BUSINESS   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  123 

believing  in  John  Brown's  theory  of  the  wickedness  of  slavery, 
he  condemned  Ms  action  at  Harper's  Ferry.  Yet  there  was 
too  much  fighting  blood  in  his  veins  for  him  to  submit  quietly 
to  violent  oppression  or  active  wrong-doing.  When  Thomas 
W.  Dorr  undertook  to  overthrow  the  government  of  Rhode 
Island,  he  was  among  the  first  to  seize  a  musket  and  march  to 
the  rescue.  When  the  Southern  States  attempted  to  destroy 
the  Union,  there  was  no  hesitancy  in  his  active  opposition  to 
their  efforts.  He  was  then  too  old  for  military  service,  but 
his  time  and  liis  money  were  given  freely,  and  with  his  con- 
currence every  rjiember  of  his  family,  whom  the  government 
would  accept,  entered  the  army.  Although  two  of  his  sons 
were  borne  home  on  their  shields  —  and  he  loved  them  dearly 
—  he  never  faltered  in  urging  and  supporting  the  active 
prosecution  of  the  war  to  the  very  end.  But  not  in  bitter- 
ness ;  simply  in  order  that  the  right  should  prevail. 

From  the  beginning  of  his  business  career,  the  junior  part- 
ner made  very  frequent  trips  on  land  and  water,  by  carriage, 
stage  or  rail,  and  by  sail  or  steam.  In  time  he  had  traversed 
quite  thoroughly  New  England  and  the  Middle  States,  and 
had  become  acquainted  with  the  land  and  the  people  between 
the  Penobscot  and  the  Potomac  rivers.  The  details  of  his 
trips  are  recorded  in  his  journals,  with  the  hours  of  arrival 
at  and  departure  from  the  various  stopping  places,  the  names 
of  the  inns  or  hotels  at  which  he  staid,  the  persons  whom  he 
met,  the  chief  incidents  which  occurred,  and  usually  the  ex- 
penses of  travelling.  From  liis  notes  a  very  fair  idea  can  be 
obtained  of  the  conditions  of  travel  in  the  days  when  the 
stage  coach  was  retiring  before  the  locomotive,  and  the  packet 
was  yielding  to  the  steamer. 

For  twelve  years  after  Stimson  &  Hodges  began  business, 
there  was  no  railroad  in  Rhode  Island.  Journeys  were  made 
in  stage  coaches,  —  and  these  were  numerous  in  Providence, 
which  was  on  the  main  line  of  travel  between  Boston  and 
New  York.     The   stage  road  chiefly    used   from   Boston  to 


124  BUSINESS   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE. 

Providence  was  the  Norfolk  and  Bristol  Turnpike,  known 
later  as  the  Dedhara  Turnpike,  and  now  named  Washington 
Street.  Beginning  at  Boston  it  passed  through  Roxbury 
(now  Boston),  West  Roxbury  (then  Roxbury,  now  Boston), 
Dedham,  Norwood  (then  Dedham),  Walpole  (East  and  South 
Walpole),  Foxborough  (the  northwestern  part  of  the  present 
township),  Wrenthara  (the  eastern  j)art  of  the  town),  Attle- 
borough  (North  Attleborough  and  the  western  part  of  Attle- 
borough),  Pawtucket  and  Providence.  There  were  some 
deviations  from  this  route,  —  as  in  Walpole,  where  three  roads 
were  used  by  rival  lines.  Thus  John  Needham  ran  his  stages 
through  North  Walpole,  that  the  passengers  might  take  their 
meals  at  his  tavern  on  the  Plain. 

There  were  often  four  regular  stage  lines  (perhaps  more) 
over  this  road,  each  line  running  several  coaches,  which  started 
from  Boston  at  various  hours,  from  three  in  the  morning  until 
noon.* 

The  start  back  from  Providence  was  seldom  made  before 
6  A.  M.,  and  the  later  hours  varied  greatly,  dependent  to  a 
large  extent  upon  the  arrival  of  the  New  York  connections. 
There  were  also,  on  occasions,  extra  coaches,  so  that  the  total 
number  was  large.  "  In  the  summer  of  1829  there  were  328 
stage  coaches  a  week  to  and  from  Providence,  not  counting 
the  local  stages  running  to  points  within  a  dozen  miles  of  the 
town.  The  turnpikes  were  then  in  excellent  condition,  and 
on  the  journey  from  Boston  horses  were  changed  four  or  five 
times.  Very  exciting  races  often  occurred  between  coaches 
of  opposing  lines  when  they  happened  to  come  together  on 
the  road.     The  arrival  of  a  number  in  Providence  at  once,  as 

*Josiah  Quincy,  in  '■'■  Fi(]ures  of  the  Past^^^  describing  a  journey  in 
1826,  says  :  "  The  stages  left  Boston  at  three  in  the  morning,  and  at  two 
o'clock  a  man  was  sent  round  to  the  houses  of  those  who  were  booked 
for  the  passage.  His  instructions  were  to  knock,  pull  the  bell,  and  shout 
and  disturb  the  neighborhood  as  much  as  possible,  in  order  that  the  per- 
son who  was  to  take  the  coach  might  be  up  and  dressed  when  it  reached 
his  door." 


BUSINESS   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE.  125 

was  usual,  to  connect  with  the  New  York  boats,  was  a  daily 
event  of  great  interest.  It  could  not  be  otherwise,  when  ten 
or  twelve  large  coaches,  each  drawn  by  four  horses,  all  filled 
with  passengers  and  their  tops  loaded  with  freight,  came 
lurching  and  swaying  down  the  street  at  a  furious  pace."* 

The  usual  fare,  in  these  years,  was  two  or  two  and  a  half 
dollars.  Under  strong  competition  it  sank  to  one  dollar ;  at 
one  period  John  Needham  carried  his  passengers  free.  The 
time  consumed  by  the  passage,  including  stops  for  meals,  etc., 
varied  from  five  to  nine  hours,  but  generally  was  five  and  a 
half  or  six  hours.  The  distance  was  reckoned  as  40  or  41 
miles. 

All  along  the  route  were  taverns,  where  the  passengers 
stopped  for  meals  and  relays  of  horses  were  provided.  The 
tavern-keepers  often  were  promoters  of  stage  lines  whereby 
their  houses  profited.  The  following  list  of  wayside  inns 
between  Boston  and  Providence  at  this  period,  with  the  dis- 
tances from  Boston,  is  taken,  with  a  few  corrections  and  addi- 
tions, from  the  Massachusetts  Register  and  United  States 
Calendar : 

RoxBURY 6  miles.     Ellis's. 

Eead  Taft's,  in  West  RoxlDury,  at  the  union 
of  South  and  Washington  streets  ;  later 
called  the  Union  Hotel. 

Dedham 9  miles.     Capt.    Francis    Alden's,    near    the    Court 

House. 
Dedham  Hotel,  burned  down  in  1832,  when 
60  horses  of  the  stage  company  perished; 
rebuilt  as  the  Phoenix  Hotel. 

Walpole 20^  miles.    Puller's  half-Avay  house  in  South  Walpole. 

Polley's,  near  Puller's. 
John  Needham's,  on  the  Plain. 
Attleboro.  .  .28  miles.     Col.  Israel  Hatch's,  in  North  Attleboro. 
Pawtucket  ..37  miles.     Col.  Slack's. 
Providence  ..  41  miles.     Chappotin's. 

Blake's  Franklin  House;  and  others. 

*  Field's  State  of  Rhode  Inland  and  Providence  Plantations,  II :  54.5. 


126  BUSINESS   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE. 

In  the  year  1835  the  Boston  &  Providence  Railroad  (the 
first  railway  in  Rhode  Island)  was  opened  to  through  traffic, 
and  its  coaches  drawn  by  steam  engines  on  rails*  soon  sup- 
planted the  coaches  hauled  by  horses  on  the  Turnpike.  Pas- 
senger trains  had  been  operated  for  short  distances  from 
Boston  during  the  previous  year,  —  as  far  as  the  Canton 
Viaduct,  the  last  link  in  the  road  to  be  completed,  where 
they  connected  with  the  stages.  The  first  train  from  Provi- 
dence started  from  the  station,  then  at  India  Point,  on  June 
2,  1835.  It  consisted  of  two  coaches,  filled  with  invited 
guests  and  propelled  by  two  horses  each,  the  locomotive, 
which  it  had  been  intended  to  use,  not  being  in  order.  The 
party  was  carried  on  the  rails  to  the  unfinished  Canton 
Viaduct,  walked  across  the  gap,  and  continued  by  steam  to 
Boston.  The  next  day  the  first  trip  of  the  locomotive  from 
Providence  was  made  to  Canton.  The  third  trip,  with  steam, 
on  this  end  of  the  road,  was  made  on  June  4.  "  The  cars 
started  from  India  Bridge  at  ten  minutes  past  five  P.  M.,  and 
arrived  at  the  old  Bolkcom  stand  in  Attleborough  about  half 
past  six,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  time  was  consumed  by  a 
stop  to  blow  off  and  refill  the  boiler.  Left  Attleborough  at  7 
o'clock  and  was  hacked  iyi  to  Providence  in  about  55  minutes, 
after  a  very  pleasant  ride."f  The  first  "steamboat  train" 
arrived  in  Providence  on  the  morning  of  June  11 ;  and  the 
first  train  which  crossed  the  Canton  Viaduct  started  from 
Boston  on  July  28,  1835,  at  4  P.  M.,  and  arrived  in  Provi- 
dence in  an  hour  and  forty-seven  minutes.  It  returned  the 
same  evening,  with  about  a  hundred  passengers,  in  two  hours 
and  three  minutes.     The  fare  each  way  was  two  dollars. 

The  actual  running  time  on  the  railroad,  while  the  roadbed 
and  equipment  were  new,  was  from  two  to  three  and  a  half 


*  The  bodies  of  the  cars  originally  used  on  this  road  were  essentially 
the  same  as  those  of  the  stage  coaches, 
t  Journal  of  A.  D.  H. 


BUSINESS    LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  127 

hours.  Later  the  steamboat  trains  endeavored,  with  reason- 
able success,  to  make  the  trip  in  an  hour  and  a  half,  while  the 
accommodation  trains  took  two  hours  at  least. 

The  travel  between  Providence  and  New  York  was  by- 
packets  until  the  New  London  Turnpike  was  built,  about 
1820.  Then  coaches  were  put  on  this  road  and  the  majority 
of  the  travellers  went  over  it,  —  through  Johnston,  Scituate, 
Coventry,  Plainfield,  Jewett  City,  Norwich  and  Mohegan  to 
New  London,  where  steamboats  for  New  York  were  taken. 
In  1822  steamboats  began  to  ply  between  Providence  and 
New  York,  and  these  soon  absorbed  nearly  all  the  travel  and 
ended  the  passenger  traffic  of  the  packets.  The  steamers 
increased  in  numbers  and  came  into  lively  competition,  caus- 
ing reductions  in  the  rates,  —  from  ten  dollars  to  "  $6  and 
found,"  and  "  $5  and  found,"  and  even  less.  Now  and  then 
one  could  make  the  passage  for  one  dollar.  So  many  Provi- 
dence people  were  interested  in  the  boats*  that,  as  there  was 
at  times  a  bitter  rivalry,  especially  when  Cornelius  Vanderbilt 
and  the  railroad  directors  entered  the  field,  the  bonds  of  affec- 
tion were  occasionally  strained. 

It  was  usual,  at  first,  for  the  steamboats  to  leave  Providence 
at  noon,  arriving  early  the  next  morning  at  New  York  ;  f  and 
to  leave  New  York  at  3  P.  M.,  arriving  at  Providence  about 
the  middle  of  the  next  forenoon.  Gradually  the  hour  of  leav- 
ing both  ports  changed  to  5  P.  M.  But  there  were  constant 
variations  in  the  times  of  starting,  and  the  fog  and  storms 
made  great  differences  in  the  length  of  the  passage,  wliich  at 
least  on  one  occasion  occupied  forty-three  hours.  When  the 
steamer  Lexington,  Capt.  Jacob  Vanderbilt,  was  put  on  the 

*  1823,  May  11.  At  noon  took  passage  in  the  new  steamer  Providence 
for  New  York.  Stirason  &  Hodges  had  invested  $500  in  this  steamer, 
which  gave  us  a  free  passage.     [Recollections  of  A.  D.  H.] 

I  1833,  July  11.  At  12  o'clock,  noon,  started  in  the  steamer  Providence 
for  New  York.  Acted  as  clerk  2Jfo  tern,  of  the  boat.  Passed  Newport 
at  a  quarter  past  two,  and  Gull  light  at  7  P.  M.  Arrived  in  New  York 
the  next  morning  at  6  o'clock.     [Journal  of  A.  D.  H.] 


128  A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS. 

line,  it  left  the  terminals  at  six  in  the  morning  and  made 
the  trip  (when  not  delayed)  by  daylight.  "  Fare  four  dollars 
—  Meals  extra." 

In  November,  1837,  the  railroad  between  Providence  and 
Stonington  was  opened  to  travel.  Its  Providence  passenger- 
station  was  on  the  western  side  of  Providence  River,  opposite 
the  station  at  India  Point  of  the  Boston  &  Providence  Rail- 
road. Soon  a  ferry  boat  connected  the  two  stations,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  through  passengers  went  by  rail  to  Ston- 
ington, there  taking  the  New  York  steamboats.  Or  it  was 
possible  to  leave  Providence  in  the  forenoon,  cross  the  Sound 
by  steamboat  to  Greenport,  L.  I.,  take  the  Long  Island  Rail- 
road cars,  and  arrive  in  New  York  early  in  the  evening. 

Such  were  the  principal  methods  of  travel  to  and  from 
Providence  described  in  the  Journal  of  the  junior  partner,  the 
details  of  which  he  pictured  fully  on  one  occasion  when,  at 
the  end  of  a  journey,  he  copied  his  original  entries  (written 
with  lead-pencil),  touched  them  up,  and  entitled  the  revised 
versio;! 

A  Pilgrim's  Progress. 

Froggy  would  a-journeying  go, 

Whether  his  Mammy  would  let  him  or  no. 

—  Anonymous. 

And  he  took  it  into  his  head  to  walk  off. 

—  Castigator. 

1824,  July  4,  Sunday.  Started  for  New  York  in  the  sloop 
3Iatilda,  Capt.  Gould,*  with  the  wind  north.  Off  Prudence 
Island  pass  the  steamer  Connecticut.,  Capt.  William  Comstock, 
bound  for  Providence.      Passed   Newport  at  6   o'clock  and 


*  John  Gould,  of  Black  Rock,  Conn.,  died  about  two  years  ago,  as  I 
learn  by  letter  from  the  postmaster  of  that  place.  I  made  my  first  visit 
to  New  York,  in  July,  1824,  with  him  in  his  sloop  Matilda  from  Provi- 
dence.    [Journal  of  Dec.  i,  1875.'] 


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A   PILGRIM'S    PROGRESS.  129 

doubled  Point  Judith  at  10.  A  very  dull  Sunday.  Turned 
in  at  11  o'clock. 

July  5,  Monday.  Turned  out  at  daylight.  The  scenery 
was  most  beautiful.  We  were  off  Fisher's  Island  at  7  o'clock. 
Tom,  the  cook,  said  he  heard  cannon  in  New  York  (distance 
130  miles) ;  celebrating  Independence  all  along  the  shore 
with  "  trumpets,  drums,  cannon,  bonfires,  etc."  We  cele- 
brated the  anniversary  genteelly  on  board.  Tom  played  on  a 
three-stringed  fiddle,  Sim,  the  mate,  accompanied  him  on  his 
bag-pipes,  and  we  three  had  fore-and-afters  on  both  sides  of 
the  deck.  At  12  o'clock  we  were  becalmed  off  Faulkner's 
Island,  which  gave  us  time  for  cool  reflection.  At  6  o'clock 
a  fine  breeze  off  Stratford  Point  sprung  up.  Took  in  top-sail 
and  turned  in  at  10  o'clock. 

July  6,  Tuesday.  Awoke  at  daylight  and  found  myself  in 
the  harbor  of  Black  Rock.  Walked  to  Capt.  Gould's  seat 
at  Fairfield.  Here  the  captain  chartered  Molly  Dunlap's  old 
mare  and  gig,  ycleped  The  Chesapeake,  and  we  set  off  for 
Bridgeport.  The  old  jade  paced  at  the  rate  of  ten  knots  an 
hour  until  we  brought  up  all  standing  at  the  sign  of  the  Bar- 
ber's Pole  and  Snuffers,  and  I  was  shaved  (^.  e.,  chin-scraped) 
by  a  man  who  kept  the  grocery  and  barber's  shop. 

At  one  o'clock  returned  to  Fairfield  and  dined  with  Capt. 
Gould.  Wished  myself  as  pleasantly  situated  as  the  captain, 
who,  by  the  way,  is  in  possession  of  a  pretty  place  and  a 
handsome  wife.  The  captain  and  I  went  to  see  the  pretty 
girls  in  the  evening.  Memorandum  :  if  I  have  seen  a  fair 
sample  of  Connecticut,  it  must  be  the  finest  State  in  the 
Union. 

July  7,  Wednesday.  I  was  awakened  by  the  captain  at  3 
in  the  morning  and  traveled  down  to  the  vessel.  Weighed 
anchor  at  6  and  stood  out  into  the  Sound  with  a  fresh  breeze 
from  the  north-west.  It  was  quiet  on  board  to-day,  all  hands 
recovering  from  the  celebration  of  Independence.  At  7 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  with  a  beautiful  breeze  we  arrived  at  the  Nar- 


130  A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS. 

rows  and  passed  through  Hell  Gate  (for  the  first  time)  a  iew 
minutes  after  sunset.  It  is  a  romantic  and  beautiful  place, 
where  all  nature  smiles  when  the  reflection  of  the  sun  upon 
the  horizon  imparts  to  the  surrounding  objects  a  bewitching- 
splendor  which  can  be  rivalled  only  by  our  ideas  of  Paradise. 
The  noise  of  the  waters  winding  their  ways  in  excessive  com- 
motion tlu'ough  this  narrow  passage,  and  the  boiling,  broiling, 
frying,  stewing  and  roasting  of  the  liquid  element,  added  to  the 
grandeur  of  the  scene :  it  appeared  like  an  enchanted  spot. 

But  the  mariner  should  keep  on  the  most  accommodating 
terms  with  the  fairy  that  presides  at  this  Gate.  I  thought 
of  the  days  of  my  old  favorite  in  legend,  Aladdin  and  the 
Wonderful  Lamp.  As  we  passed  through  this  place  whose 
nanie  strikes  the  ear  so  unmusically,  the  most  profound  silence 
was  observed  on  board  ;  the  sailors  were  stationed  at  their 
posts,  the  cable  was  coiled  and  the  anchor  unloosed  and  made 
ready  to  let  go  in  an  instant  if  the  vessel  should  miss  stays ; 
and  every  time  we  tacked,  which  happened  twice  or  thrice, 
all  hands  appeared  to  hold  their  breath.  We  went  through 
in  genteel  style,  and  when  we  had  passed  I  counted  forty  sail 
in  sight —  some  entirely  through,  some  passing,  and  some  at 
the  entrance  of  the  Gate. 

At  9  o'clock  we  arrived  off  the  city  and  ran  afoul  of  a 
schooner,  tearing  our  mainsail  and  staving  in  one  or  two  hogs- 
heads. Having  cleared  ourselves,  we  anchored  in  the  stream. 
It  was  a  most  delightful  evening,  —  such  a  one  as  we  read  of 
in  the  accounts  of  Naples.  The  great,  overgrown  city  of  New 
York  appeared  to  the  best  advantage,  impressing  the  stranger 
with  its  imposing  grandeur.  A  full  band  on  the  Ontario, 
which  was  lying  near  the  Battery,  played  most  sweetly.  Then 
a  Kent  bugler  played  "  The  Hunter's  Horn  "  in  a  masterly 
style,  and  ever  and  anon  a  rocket  shot  up  into  the  air  from 
Castle  Garden. 

July  8,  Thursday,  Arose  at  daylight  to  take  a  "lunar"  at 
the    big   city.      The  harbor  was   crowded  with  all  kinds  of 


A   PILGRIM'S    PROGRESS.  131 

crafts,  and  steamboats  were  passing  to  and  fro  as  thick  as 
swallows  after  a  storm.  We  hauled  into  the  dock  at  9  o'clock. 
I  went  to  Miss  Stone's,  in  Cliff  Street,  where  I  found  a  dozen 
Yankees,  principally  Bostonians,  some  of  them  old  acquaint- 
ances. In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  beautiful  Chatham  Gar- 
den Theatre  and  saw  the  plays  of  Bertram  and  Simson  <f-  Co. 

July  9,  Friday.  After  getting  through  with  business  I  took 
a  trip  to  Brooklyn,  Long  Island,  crossing  the  water  in  a  horse- 
boat.  Brooklyn  is  a  beautiful  place,  nearly  as  large  as  Charles- 
town,  Mass.  Here  I  fell  in  with  D.  Dudley  and  lady,  B.  F. 
French  and  lady,  and  Jonathan  French  and  no  lady.  After 
viewing  the  village  and  the  Navy  Yard,  returned  to  New  York 
at  6  o'clock.  In  the  evening  went  to  Castle  Garden,  where 
were  a  band  of  music  and  fireworks.  I  awoke  at  midnight, 
"  serenaded  "  by  a  full  band  which  played  sweetly. 

July  10,  Saturday.  Arose  at  5  and  jumped  aboard  the 
steamboat  Thistle,  for  Philadelphia,  in  company  with  eight 
Bostonians.  We  passed  Elizabethtown  Point  and  Perth 
Amboy  and  landed  at  New  Brunswick,  a  considerable  place 
where  the  earth  is  red.  Here  we  took  stage  and  rode  through 
Franklin,  Kingston,  Queenston  and  Princeton  (where  Nassau 
Hall,  a  large  stone  building,  is  handsomely  situated)  to  Tren- 
ton. The  road  from  New  Brunswick  to  Trenton  was  in  very 
bad  order  —  not  much  credit  is  due  to  the  inhabitants  for 
keeping  in  this  condition  a  road  over  which  there  is  so  much 
travel. 

At  Trenton  we  took  the  steamboat  Franklin,  having  de- 
lightful views  down  the  Delaware,  where  the  land  appeared 
to  be  highly  cultivated.  When  we  were  four  miles  from 
Bristol  a  tremendous  storm  came  up  suddenly.  I  crawled  in 
under  the  baggage,  but  the  other  passengers  undertook  to 
get  below ;  men,  women  and  children  tumbled  down  the  com- 
panion-way in  heaps,  a  great  number  being  completely  drenched 
before  they  could  get  into  the  cabin.  Here  I  was,  comfort- 
ably stowed  away  with  other  baggage  wliile  the  rain  fell  in 


132  A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS. 

torrents,  thunder,  lightning,  rain  and  hail  appearing  to  con- 
tend for  predominance,  —  an  elegant  situation  for  "  a  buck  of 
the  first  water."  When  the  storm  ceased,  the  baggage  began  to 
crawl  out.  I  came  in  contact  with  an  old  maid's  bandboxes, 
and  stove  in  the  bottom  of  one  with  my  head.  It  was  a  long- 
time before  I  could  get  clear  and  find  daylight,  but  at  length 
I  worked  my  way  out  and  found  we  were  opposite  Bristol,  a 
beautiful  village,  while  just  below,  on  the  other  bank,  was 
Burlington,  a  considerable  town.  Further  on  we  saw  the 
United  States  Arsenal  at  Frankford,  and  hove  in  sight  of  the 
great  city  of  Pliiladelphia,  celebrated  for  its  regularity,  good 
morals.  Friends,  and  the  encouragement  of  the  fine  arts  and 
sciences.  So  soon  as  the  boat  reached  the  wharf,  it  was  over- 
run with  porters  shouting  "  Baggage,  Massa,  I  care  your 
baggage."  I  came  very  near  being  carried  off,  baggage  and 
all,  by  a  stout  blackamoor  over  six  feet  tall.  I  escaped  and 
went  to  Mr.  Field's,*  on  9th  street,  where  I  stopped. 

July  11,  Sunday.  Went  to  meeting,  Mr.  Skinner's,  and 
heard  a  red-hot  preacher  "  give  it  to  'em  good."  It  was  Com- 
munion Sunday.  It  is  the  fashion  here  for  both  sheep  and 
goats  to  keep  their  seats  when  the  sacrament  is  administered. 
I  sat  in  a  pew  with  one  or  two  Christians  —  and  the  deacon 
looked  very  hard  at  me.  The  service  was  ended  about  one 
o'clock,  when  I  was  glad  to  get  clear. 

In  the  afternoon  I  walked  to  where  the  new  State  prison  is 
being  built.  The  walls  enclose  ten  acres  of  land  ;  the  poles 
for  the  staging  cost  $2,000.  Walked  out  again  in  the  even- 
ing.    Little  cliildren,  principally  girls,  were  so  thick  on  the 


*  I  called  on  ray  old  friend,  James  Field,  1022  Race  Street  [Thiladel- 
pliia],  in  the  evening.     \_Journal  of  April  13,  I860.] 

Almira  Lincoln  gave  me  the  following:  Died  in  Philadelphia,  April 
17,  18()6,  James  Field  in  his  84th  year;  and  on  Dec.  25,  18(54,  Geo.  W. 
Fobes,  in  his  75th  year.  They  were  for  many  years  of  the  firm  of  Field 
&  Fobes,  which  began  business  in  Philadelphia  in  1812  and  dissolved  in 
1837.     [Journal  of  Sept.  29,  1866.'] 


A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS.  133 

sidewalk  that  I  was  obliged  to  take  the  middle  of  the  street 
for  fear  of  stepping  on  some  of  them.  I  was  surprised  to  find 
so  many  in  Philadelphia,  and  particularly  in  this  part  of  the 
city. 

July  12,  Monday.  Dined  with  Mr.  Fobes.  With  my  Bos- 
ton friends  rode  out  to  the  Watei-  Works  which  supply  the 
city  from  the  Schuylkill  River.  Large  water-wheels  —  three 
were  in  operation  —  pump  up  the  water  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  into  a  reservoir,  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  with  a  capacity  of 
upwards  of  eight  million  gallons. 

We  visited  Pratt's  Garden.  "  None  but  strangers  of  dis- 
tinction allowed  to  enter  the  Garden  at  this  time  of  the  year," 
said  the  good  woman  who  turned  the  large  key  at  the  gate. 
TMs  garden  is  said  to  be  superior  to  any  other  in  the  United 
States.  Here  grow  orange  trees,  with  boughs  bent  nearly  to 
the  ground  by  the  golden  fruit,  which  makes  the  visitor's 
mouth  water ;  and  if  he  does  not  possess  an  uncommon  por- 
tion of  that  scarce  quality  called  honesty,  his  fingers  will  itch 
to  their  very  ends  for  a  sly  grab.  Here  grow  lemons  and 
pineapples,  and  a  great  many  other  tropical  fruits,  in  the 
greatest  profusion.  There  are  two  beautiful  fish  ponds,  one 
at  a  higher  level  than  the  other ;  the  water  runs  from  the  first 
into  the  second,  and  thence  into  the  river.  In  the  upper 
pond  is  a  fountain,  around  which  gathers  a  great  number  of 
gold  fish  and  silver  fish,  pushing  and  elbowing  like  a  crowd 
at  the  box  of&ce  of  a  theatre.  There  are  also  two  caves  in 
the  Garden.  In  one  is  a  spring  whose  water  is  impregnated 
with  iron.  The  other,  I  believe,  is  called  the  Devil's  Den ; 
the  entrance  is  guarded  by  a  large  mastiff ;  here  Beelzebub 
was  chained  down  for  —  perhaps  another  thousand  years. 

Mr.  Pratt,  the  owner,  has  a  summer  seat  in  the  centre  of 
this  abode  of  Flora.  This  Second  Paradise  is  situated  upon 
the  bank  of  the  Schuylkill  and  commands  a  full  view  of  the 
Water  Works.  I  very  much  doubt  whether  Adam  and  Eve's 
garden  in  its  full  glory  greatly  surpassed  tliis. 


134  A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS. 

July  13,  Tuesday.  Paraded  about  the  city  to  see  the 
sights.  Dined  with  Mr.  Stone.*  Went  in  the  afternoon  to 
Peale's  Museum  with  Harriet  S.  Field.  This  is  the  first 
museum  in  America.  It  contains  a  large  collection  of  por- 
traits of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the  United  States.  Saw 
the  skeleton  of  the  mammoth,  about  fourteen  feet  high,  and 
directly  underneath,  as  a  contrast,  the  skeleton  of  a  mouse. 
In  the  evening  took  tea  with  Mr.  Brigham,  formerly  a  partner 
of  my  old  master  in  Boston. 

July  14,  Wednesday.  Dined  with  Mr.  Field.  Crossed  the 
ferry  to  Camden.  On  my  return  visited  the  Navy  Yard  and 
saw  a  seventy-four  on  the  stocks,  pierced  for  130  guns,  which 
is  to  be  the  largest  ship  of  the  line  in  the  navy. 

July  15,  Thursday.  Took  the  steamboat  Alhemarle  for 
Bordentown,  where  we  arrived  at  ten  o'clock.  Took  the 
stage  here  in  company  with  three  elderly  maids  to  whom  I 
had  been  politely  requested  by  a  gentleman  in  Philadelphia 
"  to  be  civil,"  that  is,  to  act  the  beau.  I  was  very  polite 
to  them,  and  they  complained  bitterly  of  the  rough  roads. 
There  was  also  in  our  stage  Lord  Bolingbroke's  brother,  a 
very  jolly  fellow.  The  stage  driver  of  the  opposition  line 
pushed  on  like  Jehu.  We  passed  through  Nottingham 
Square,  Penn's  Neck  and  Middlesex,  reached  New  Bruns- 
wick at  3.40,  took  the  steamboat  Legislator,  and  arrived  at 
New  York  at  half-past  seven  o'clock. 

July  16,  Friday.  Went  to  Brooklyn,  visited  the  Navy 
Yard  and  there  saw  the  Franklin,  seventy-four.  In  the  even- 
ing at  the  Chatham  Garden  Theatre  saw  The  School  for 
Scandal  and  An  Agreeable  Surprise.  After  the  play  was 
over  I  was  introduced  to  the  managers,  and,  by  invitation 
of  Mr.  Williamson,  partook  of  a  collation  which  was  served 

*  Saw  to-rlay  the  notice  of  the  death  at  Saxonville,  Framingham,  Mass., 
of  Dexter  Stone,  of  the  former  firm  of  Grant  &  Stone  of  Philadelphia.  He 
was  formerly  in  the  employ  of  Elisha  Brigham  &  Co.,  John  D.  Williams 
being  the  Co.     {^Journal  of  A.  D.  H.'[ 


A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS.  135 


up  in  good  style.      We  returned   to   our  lodgings    at    mid- 


night. 


July  17,  Saturday.  Went  to  the  City  Hall  and  had  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  city.  Fell  in  with  a  jolly  cocksparrow 
from  Albany.  An  Irish  woman,  with  a  great  bunch  of  keys 
by  her  side,  conducted  us  through  all  the  apartments,  for 
which  we  paid  her  four  shillings  York  currency.  My  com- 
panion then  challenged  me  to  walk  out  to  the  Treadmill,  about 
four  miles  distant.  Arriving  there  just  as  the  bell  rang  for 
dinner,  and  being  therefore  obliged  to  wait  an  hour  before 
the  mill  would  be  in  operation,  we  went  to  a  grocery  store  in 
the  vicinity  and  dined  together  on  dried  beef,  codfish,  crackers 
and  cider.  After  dinner  we  went  into  the  mill.  The  lower 
apartment  is  used  for  the  male  convicts,  some  of  whom  had  a 
log  chain  suspended  from  the  waist,  with  the  lower  end  made 
fast  to  the  ankle.  The  wheels  of  the  treadmill  are  about 
five  feet  in  diameter.  A  bell  rings  every  half  minute  ;  when 
it  rings  a  convict  mounts  the  mill  at  one  end  and  another  hops 
off  at  the  other  end.  Thus  the  prisoners  move  from  one  end 
to  the  other,  and  keep  upon  the  wheel  about  half  of  the  tiine. 

The  upper  room  is  the  female  apartment.  Here  were  a 
number  of  pretty  girls,  and  some  confoundedly  ugly,  who  kept 
quizzing  us,  but  we  didn't  see  fit  to  return  the  compliment. 

On  our  way  back  we  stopped  at  the  Waterloo  Garden, 
about  three  miles  from  the  city,  kept  by  a  jolly  fat  Irish 
woman,  and  had  a  comfortable  sit-down  to  icecream  and  cake. 
Returned  to  the  city  at  four,  after  having  had  a  very  merry 
time.  Later  crossed  by  steam-ferryboat  to  Hoboken,  a  beau- 
tiful place  noted  for  dueling,  footraces,  gambling  and  cock- 
fights, and  a  great  place  of  resort  for  the  New-Yorkers. 

July  18,  Sunday.  Took  the  steamboat  Chancellor  Living- 
ston for  Albany.  This  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  excur- 
sions that  can  be  taken  from  New  York  City.  The  scenery 
along  this  noble  river  would  be  a  treat  to  the  greatest  lover 
of  romance.     And  any  one  who  enjoys  the  study  of  human 


136  A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS. 

nature,  on  a  Hudson  River  steamboat  with  three  or  four 
hundred  passengers  has  a  large  field  for  observation  of  the 
different  characters  and  dispositions  encountered  every  mo- 
ment. Here  one  sees  the  predestinarian,  with  woe-begone 
pliiz  and  chin  skewered  down ;  the  dignified  gait  and  studied 
grace  of  the  statesman ;  the  staring  impudence  of  the  lawyer ; 
the  stiff,  bolstered-up  dandy  with  ears  buttoned  back  and 
shirt-collar  hauled  out  almost  to  the  flaps ;  the  alderman, 
with  double  chin  and  fat  sides ;  the  Johnny  Raws  with  their 
sweethearts ;  the  winning  ease  and  fascinating  manners  of 
some  of  the  belles ;  the  watchful,  searching  look  of  the 
matrons  who  have  young  daughters ;  in  short  the  greatest 
variety  of  characters  presents  itself  for  tlie  observation,  edifi- 
cation and  amusement  of  the  lover  of  novelty  and  jollification. 
In  one  part  of  the  boat  is  a  merry  set  of  old  bachelors,  telling 
stories  over  a  bottle  of  wine ;  in  another,  half  a  dozen  poli- 
ticians, canvassing  the  qualifications  of  the  candidates  for 
President ;  in  still  another  part,  a  trio  of  old  maids,  without 
a  beau,  finding  fault  with  their  fare,  with  everybody  and 
everything ;  close  to  their  elbows  you  may  see  a  languishing 
maiden  poring  over  "  The  Sorrows  of  Werther."  Here  is  a 
mother,  trying  to  pacify  a  squalling  child ;  there  is  a  buck, 
bowing  and  scraping  to  half  a  dozen  top-notch  ladies. 
Around  the  bar  is  a  great  scramble  for  punch,  lemonade 
and  whiskey. 

When  the  dinner  bell  rings,  all  hands  aim  for  the  gentle- 
men's cabin  (except  the  ladies,  who  take  their  meals  in  the 
ladies'  cabin  on  deck),  and  once  in  the  current  which  is  press- 
ing towards  the  companion  way,  a  retreat  is  as  difficult  as 
rowing  up  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  Down  you  must  go  pell  mell 
in  the  crowd,  being  pushed,  hauled,  squeezed,  and  having 
your  corns  trod  upon,  in  the  tug  of  war  for  a  good  seat. 
After  several  tons  of  provisions  have  been  swept  by  the 
board,  the  grand  consideration  is  to  find  your  beaver  and 
set  back  into  fresh  air. 


A   PILGRIM'S    PROGRESS.  137 

Of  the  wonderful  beauty  of  the  scenery  along  the  river, 
and  the  points  of  romantic  and  historic  interest,  —  the  Pali- 
sades, the  Catskills,  West  Point  with  its  Military  Academy, 
the  many  villages  and  towns  on  both  shores,  —  only  a  highly 
trained  writer  can  give  an  adequate  description. 

At  Poughkeepsie  I  took  a  trip  to  the  shore  in  a  small  boat. 
The  steamer  itself  does  not  stop  at  the  landings  to  put  off  or 
receive  passengers.  It  merely  slacks  its  speed  when  near  a 
given  point,  and  a  small  boat  is  lowered  into  the  water,  and 
into  this  boat  are  put  the  people  and  luggage  destined  for 
the  place.  The  boat  then  makes  for  the  wharf,  a  boatman 
paying  out  a  line  wliich  connects  his  craft  with  the  steamer. 
When  the  passengers  have  landed,  and  others,  if  any  there 
be,  have  embarked,  a  signal  is  given,  the  line  is  wound  up  on 
a  drum  actuated  by  steam,  and  the  boat  is  hauled  back  to  the 
steamer  in  genteel  style.  Sometimes  the  steamboat  gets  a 
very  long  distance  ahead  while  the  small  craft  is  landing  and 
receiving  cargo,  in  which  case  the  return  is  made  with  start- 
ling velocity. 

As  we  approached  Hudson,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
we  saw  a  curious  hedge  fence  which,  on  nearer  view,  proved 
to  be  a  long  line  of  people  posted  on  the  hill  to  observe  the 
passage  of  our  steamboat. 

At  ten  o'clock,  all  the  berths  being  occupied,  I  wrapped 
myself  up  in  my  cloak,  spread  myself  on  a  settee  and  went 
to  sleep.  At  twelve  I  was  roused  by  a  fellow  running  full 
tilt  against  my  settee  and  depositing  me  upon  the  cabin  floor. 
Rising  up  and  rubbing  open  my  eyes,  I  was  about  to  address 
my  disturber  with  "  How  now,  ye  black  and  midnight  hag," 
when  I  found  he  had  decamped  with  the  crowd  who  were 
going  ashore ;  for  we  had  reached  the  ancient  city  of  Albany. 
Discovering  an  empty  berth,  I  took  possession  of  it  and  slept 
comfortably  until  morning. 

July  19,  Monday.  I  arose  before  sunrise  and  looked  for 
my  Boston  acquaintances,  but  they  had  gone  to  some  place 


138  A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS. 

to  rae  unknown.  I  hired  a  boy  who  took  one  end  of  my 
trunk,  and  I  the  other,  and  thus  we  trudged  up  into  the  city. 
Meeting  a  four-wheeled  razee  with  the  words  "  Swiftsure  for 
Troy  "  on  the  door,  I  hailed  the  driver,  who  hove  to  and  took 
me  in.  Crossing  the  ferry  we  entered  the  thriving  village  of 
Troy,  whence  I  proceeded  to  Centre  Village,  Lansingburg, 
and  breakfasted  with  my  uncle,  Benjamin  Danforth. 

Here  I  met  a  gentleman,  Mr.  Gilchrist,  who  was  going  to 
Saratoga  Springs  and  invited  me  to  go  with  him.  I  accepted 
the  invitation  and  we  rode  out  of  Lansingburg,  over  a  long 
bridge  across  the  river  to  Waterford,  and  through  Mechanics- 
ville  and  Malta  to  Slab  City  (so  called  from  its  numerous 
sawmills  and  the  resulting  slabs),  where  we  dined.  Thence 
we  proceeded  to  our  destination. 

The  road  from  Waterford  to  Saratoga  crosses  the  canal 
three  or  four  times.  It  is  rough  and  gloomj^  and  when  one 
suddenly  enters  the  beautiful  village  of  Saratoga,  the  change 
is  delightful.  If  one  enters  in  the  evening,  coming  out  of 
silence  and  darkness,  he  is  charmed  by  the  sweet  strains  of  a 
cotillion  band  and  by  the  brilliant  illumination  of  the  Halls 
which,  by  a  little  exercise  of  the  imagination,  can  be  found  to 
resemble  fairy  palaces.  This  celebrated  watering  place  is  the 
grand  resort  of  persons  from  all  parts  of  the  Union  and  even 
from  Europe.  Hither  come  ladies,  doctors,  lawyers,  judges, 
deacons,  ministers,  merchants,  farmers,  gamblers,  tliieves,  and, 
especially  noticeable,  dandies.  The  manners  of  a  few  of  them 
are  ridiculous  in  the  extreme.  Seeing  a  buck  of  the  very  first 
water  promenading  with  a  bevy  of  belles  reminded  me  of  a 
full-blooded  turkey  cock  marshalling  his  family  of  hens  with 
the  pride  and  pomposity  of  that  master  of  ceremonies  of  the 
feathered  tribe,  and   recalled   to  my   memory  the    following 

lines :  — 

"  A  cock  beneath  a  stable  pent 

Was  strutting  o'er  some  heaps  of  dung  ; 
And  as  around  and  round  he  went, 

The  mettled  coursers  stamped  and  flung. 


A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS.  139 

Bravo  !  quoth  he,  a  decent  noise  I 

We  make  quite  a  tollol  pother  ! 
But  let's  take  care,  my  merry  bo}^s, 

Lest  we  should  tread  on  one  another." 

Visitors  do  not  appear  to  make  long  visits  here,  and  there 
is  a  continuous  ingress  and  egress.  People  arrive  in  the  after- 
noon, take  a  comforting  sip  at  the  springs,  dance  until  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  rise  at  ten,  breakfast,  and  off  they  go. 
The  principal  boarding  houses  are  Congress  Hall,  United 
States  Hotel,  Union  Hotel  and  The  Pavillion.  The  principal 
street,  which  is  very  wide  and  handsome,  runs  nearly  north 
and  south.  There  are  a  number  of  springs  in  the  village.  The 
one  most  frequented  is  near  Congress  Hall.  There  is  a  railing 
around  it,  inside  of  which  stand  two  or  three  small  boys  with 
cups,  waiting  upon  the  visitors.  The  water  is  served  gratis^ 
but  3"ou  are  at  liberty  to  hand  the  boy  a  penny  if  you  see  fit. 

In  the  evening,  after  a  thunder  storm  had  passed,  we  rode 
over  a  very  uneven,  crooked  and  unpleasant  road  seven  miles, 
to  Ballston,  where  we  arrived  at  nine  o'clock  and  found  very 
good  accommodations  at  a  tavern. 

July  20,  Tuesday.  Arose  at  seven  and  met  a  Boston  ac- 
quaintance, Mr.  Winchester,  with  whom  I  breakfasted.  Ball- 
ston is  not  an  unpleasant  place  and  resembles  some  of  the 
country  villages  of  Massachusetts.  Its  situation  is  not  so  in- 
viting as  that  of  Saratoga,  and  it  is  quite  dull  in  comparison. 
There  were  perhaps  a  hundred  visitors  here,  and  there  could 
have  been  not  less  than  eight  times  that  number  at  Saratoga. 
The  waters  of  the  two  places  are  very  similar  in  taste.  The 
most  noted  boarding  house  here  is  the  Sans  Souci  Hotel,  much 
the  largest  wooden  building  that  I  have  ever  seen. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  rode  away  and  dined  at  Mechanicsville 
as  a  shower  had  come  up.  At  Lansingburg  I  called  on  my 
old  Norton  acquaintance,  Tom  Morey,  whom  I  had  not  seen 
for  nearly  twenty  years.  I  stopped  at  Eleazer  Walker's  [at 
whose  tavern  in  Norton  the  narrator  had  served  when  a  boy]. 


140  A   PILGRIM'S    PROGRESS. 

July  21,  Wednesday.  Took  a  ride  in  the  afternoon  with 
Mrs.  Walker  and  her  sister,  Mary  Horton,  and  in  the  evening 
all  hands  walked  to  Troy,  where  we  regaled  ourselves  with 
icecreams,  lemonade,  punch,  etc. 

July  22,  Thursday.  Arose  at  five  and  took  the  stage  (with 
seven  others,  all  of  the  fair  sex)  to  Albany,  where  I  stopped 
at  Rockwell's  Mansion  House.  It  was  excessively  warm,  I 
met  no  acquaintances,  and,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving 
Providence,  I  found  it  dull,  and  my  spirits  were  depressed. 
To  cheer  myself  up,  I  took  a  walk  about  the  city,  which  is  as 
large  as  Providence  and  contains  some  very  handsome  build- 
ings. The  State  Caj)itol  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  architecture, 
and  in  front  of  it  there  is  a  handsome  parade.  Pearl  Street 
is  a  wide  thoroughfare.  I  saw  some  very  pretty  girls ;  also  a 
plenitude  of  dandies  and  of  old  women  crying  Ras-berr-ies, 
with  the  first  syllable  singing  D,  and  at  the  last  one  rising  up 
to  high  G.  I  followed  one  of  these  old  women  about  half  a 
mile,  just  to  hear  her  cry  of  Ras-berr-ies. 

Fortunately  I  fell  in  with  a  fellow-passenger  of  the  North 
River  steamboat,  named  Stephen  Putnam,  a  very  pleasant, 
polite  and  apparently  clever  young  man,  and  my  spirits  rose. 
We  walked  out  to  the  basin  of  the  great  canal,  where  there 
were  beautiful  canal  boats  furnished  in  handsome  stjde. 
Here  have  been  erected,  for  the  reception  of  merchandise, 
a  number  of  store-houses,  owned  largely  by  an  eccentric  old 
gentleman  who  engages  in  various  branches  of  business.  In 
letters  two  feet  high  are  painted  such  signs  as  Uncle  Joe's 
Stable  and  Blacksmith  Shop,  and  Uncle  Joe's  Gro- 
cery AND  Tavern. 

July  23,  Friday.  At  three  o'clock  was  awoke  by  the  stage 
driver,  who  was  pulling  me  out  of  bed ;  dressed  in  a  hurry ; 
had  my  baggage  fixed  on  the  top  of  the  Boston  stage  and 
stumbled  inside,  liitting  the  one  passenger  already  enshrined 
a  punch  with  my  elbow ;  but  he  was  fast  asleep  and  merely 
grunted.     Other  passengers  then  came  popping  in  until  the 


A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS.  141 

coach  was  fall.  It  was  as  dark  as  Egypt  and  I  could  not  see 
what  sorts  of  persons  I  had  as  fellow-travellers,  but  from  the 
odors  I  conjectured  a  motley  crowd.  We  crossed  the  ferry, 
and  soon  the  day  began  to  dawn,  and  we  began  to  stretch  our 
necks  and  reconnoitre  one  another  like  fowls  in  a  strange  roost. 
I  was  not  disax^pointed,  —  the  scent  was  true,  —  I  was  with 
the  meanest  crew  ever  stowed  in  the  inside  of  a  public  coach. 
We  passed  through  Schodack,  Nassau,  a  pretty  village  eleven 
and  a  half  miles  from  Albany,  and  New  Lebanon,  a  quite 
noted  watering  place,  with  springs  of  beautifully  transparent 
water  in  every  direction.  There  is  a  large  boarding  house  on 
an  elevated  spot,  where  are  the  principal  springs,  and  whence 
one  commands  a  full  view  of  the  Shakers'  village,  the  water- 
falls, caverns,  hills  and  valleys.  Masses  of  fog  rolling  down 
the  mountain  sides  heightened  the  wonderful  scenic  effect. 

Now  we  crossed  the  mountain  range  which  here  separates 
the  States  of  New  York  and  of  Massachusetts.  As  the  stage 
toiled  up  the  ascent  on  the  western  side,  taking  two  hours  to 
cover  about  two  miles,  I  walked  and  enjoyed  the  views.  Be- 
yond the  summit  we  passed  Hancock  and  came  to  Pittsfield. 

At  Pittsfield  I  discovered  that  the  stage-agent  at  Albany 
had  deceived  me  with  regard  to  the  route  and  the  price  of 
fare,  and  in  my  indignation  I  took  my  trunk  off  the  coach 
and  informed  the  agent  that  I  would  stay  here  until  I  was 
drummed  out,  before  I  would  travel  further  in  this  line  of 
stages ;  and  the  coach  rolled  away  without  me.  I  dined  at 
the  tavern  and  then,  failing  to  find  any  other  way  of  continu- 
ing my  journey  than  the  one  I  had  discarded,  walked  about 
the  beautiful  village  to  cool  myself  off.  In  my  walk  I  fell  in 
with  a  batcher,  a  very  sociable  and  communicative  fellow, 
who  told  me  that  by  going  to  Lanesboro,  about  six  miles  dis- 
tant, and  waiting  there  some  two  or  three  hours,  I  could  take 
the  opposition  stage ;  and,  he  added  jocosely,  if  I  would  help 
him  peddle  his  mutton,  he  would  carry  me  and  my  baggage 
thither.     On  my  readily  accepting  his  offer,  he  lent  me  a  frock 


142  A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS. 

and  we  started  off.  I  went  in  advance,  to  reconnoitre  and  to 
cry  his  mutton,  wliich  found  quick  sale  at  three  or  four  cents 
per  pound,  and  gave  me  the  opportunity  for  some  pleasant 
ciiit-chats  with  the  girls  who  came  out  with  their  mothers  to 
inspect  ourselves  and  our  wares.  The  mutton  was  all  gone 
sometime  before  we  reached  the  very  pretty  country  town  of 
Lanesboro,  and  I  had  gained  the  reputation  of  being  a  very 
good  salesman. 

Stopping  at  the  tavern  in  the  centre  of  the  town  I  was  in- 
formed by  mine  host  that  an  important  law  case  was  on  the 
tapis  in  his  hall,  and  that,  if  I  wished,  he  would  show  me  up 
and  give  me  a  seat.  The  hall  was  a  large  and  commodious 
room,  and  was  well  filled  by  a  large  audience,  who  manifested 
so  great  interest  in  the  case  on  hand  that  I  inferred  that  some 
criminal  was  being  tried  for  a  capital  offence.  But  by  close 
attention  I  found  that  it  was  Aldrich  versus  Bagg,  and  Bagg 
versus  Aldrich.  Bagg's  wall  around  his  vegetable  patch  not 
being  very  high,  Aldrich's  oxen  had  jumped  over  it  and  eaten 
up  Bagg's  pumpkins;  Bagg  had  "pounded"  Aldrich's  oxen, 
and  then  Aldrich  had  pounded  Bagg.  Some  of  the  evidence 
was  very  amusing,  and  it  was  with  regret  that  I  heard  the 
stage  drive  up  and  was  obliged  to  leave  the  court  before  all 
the  testimony  had  been  given. 

Taking  passage  in  the  stage,  which  already  contained  a 
number  of  people  —  among  them  a  very  handsome  lady  from 
Albany  —  I  was  driven  away.  Our  road  led  through  Ches- 
hire, where  I  saw  the  press  in  which  the  great  Jefferson 
cheese  was  made.  Near  by  was  a  sign  "  Up  to  Savoy,  5 
miles," — a  very  correct  direction,  for  the  back  part  of  Mas- 
sachusetts is  very  hilly.  The  passengers  kept  dropping  off 
by  the  way,  and  when  we  arrived  at  Plainfield,  at  nine 
o'clock,  none  was  left  except  the  lady  from  Albany  and 
myself.  Here  we  stopped  for  supper  and  to  sleep.  The 
landlord  was  a  jovial  soul,  and  sat  up  with  me  until  midnight, 
tellino-  stories. 


A   PILGRIM'S   PROGRESS.  143 

July  24,  Saturday.  We  started  off  at  six  A.  M.,  and  rode 
through  Ashfield,  Conway  and  Deerfield.  At  Muddy  Brook 
[Bloody  Brook?],  where  we  breakfasted,  I  found  an  acquaint- 
ance, Mrs.  Black  of  Quincy,  Mass.  We  crossed  the  Connecti- 
cut by  a  long  bridge  and  continued  on  through  Sunderland, 
Shutesbury  and  New  Salem,  reaching  Dana  at  5  o'clock.  I 
staid  here  over  night  with  uncle  Samuel  Danforth. 

July  25,  Sunday.  Went  to  church  in  the  morning  and 
heard  Rev.  Mr.  Huntingdon  preach.  At  half-past  one  I  left 
with  cousin  Henry  Danforth  for  Worcester,  riding  through 
Petersham,  Barre,  Oakham  and  Paxton.  Arrived  at  Worces- 
ter at  half-past  seven  and  stopped  at  StockwelFs.  This  is  a 
flourishing  village.  All  the  buildings  are  in  excellent  repair; 
I  did  not  see  an  old  house  in  the  place.  I  was  told  that  here 
society  lines  were  drawn  sharply  —  only  lawyers  pass  as  cur- 
rent coin  with  the  upper  crust  —  one  must  be  acquainted 
with  "  Daniel  Waldo,"  to  ride  in  the  troop  with  the  big-bugs. 

July  26,  Monday.  Arose  at  five  and  took  a  walk  about 
the  village.  In  the  vicinity  the  land  is  finely  cultivated  and 
the  roads  are  elegant.  Took  stage  at  half-past  eight  and 
passed  through  Grafton,  Upton,  Mendon  (where  I  dined), 
Bellingham,  Cumberland,  Smithfield  and  Pawtucket,  into 
Providence,  arriving  home  at  four  o'clock  and  finding  every- 
thing in  flourishing  condition.  I  have  been  absent  twenty- 
two  days,  and  have  travelled  about  eight  hundred  miles. 
The  journey  has  cost  me  about  forty  dollars,  and  I  hope  that 
the  money  has  been  well  laid  out.  The  memory  of  it  must 
ever  be  pleasant. 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  PROVIDENCE. 


LMON  DANFORTH  HODGES,  before  begin- 
ning business  on  his  own  account,  had  been 
called  Danforth  Hodges,  or  more  familiarl}-, 
Danforth,  by  his  relatives  and  friends.  When 
he  had  attained  to  the  dignity  of  a  merchant,  he  was  known, 
except  by  his  intimates,  as  Mr.  Hodges.  A  few  years  later, 
having  risen  to  the  command  of  a  Rhode  Island  regiment, 
he  was  styled  universally,  outside  of  his  own  family  circle. 
Colonel,  or  Colonel  Hodges,  and  thus  was  best  known  during 
the  rest  of  his  life.  In  editing  those  parts  of  this  narrative 
in  which  it  has  not  seemed  possible  to  have  him  speak  in  the 
first  person,  I  have  made  strenuous  efforts  to  refer  to  him 
under  some  of  the  above  appellations,  sinking  my  own  indi- 
viduality—  and  my  efforts  have  been  utterly  vain.  So  now 
I  come  unblushingly  forward  and  henceforth  claim  him  as 
my  father. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Providence  in  1823,  he  went  to 
live  with  his  former  employer,  George  Gilbert,  at  19  Wey- 
bosset  Street,  and  there  remained,  with  a  few  brief  intermis- 
sions, until  his  marriage.  He  was  fond  of  and  loyal  to  his 
old  master,  and  always  retained  most  friendly  relations  with 
him  and  his  family. 

The  store  of  Stimson  &  Hodges  was  opened  betime  in  the 
morning.  The  hour  of  closing  is  nowhere  stated  definitely 
in  fathers  Journal,  but  the  business  day  was  a  long  one  at 
this  period,  and  it  is  safe  to  affirm  that  opportunities  for  trade 
were  afforded  by  this  energetic  firm  from  early  morn  until 
the  curfew  bell  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  tolled  the  hour 

(144) 


SOCIAL    LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  145 

of  nine.  Yet  matters  were  so  arranged  that  neither  partner 
was  debarred  from  frequent  participation  in  the  pleasures  of 
society,  of  which  both  were  fond  and  for  which  both  were 
well  fitted. 

The  first  entertainment  recorded  in  the  Journal,  after  the 
School  Exhibition  in  Norton  described  on  a  previous  page, 
was  a  theatrical  performance  in  which  James  W.  Wallack* 
took  the  part  of  Reuben  Glenny. 

The  first  society  mentioned  was  The  Hydraulion  Company, 
which  my  father  joined  in  1823.  This  was  the  crack  vol- 
unteer fire  company  of  Providence,  and  had  recently  been 
formed.  Their  engine,  bought  in  1822  of  Sellers  &  Pennock 
of  Philadelphia,  was  a  great  improvement  on  the  older  ma- 
chines, wliich  were  simply  force  pumps  with  tanks  hand- 
filled  with  water  by  means  of  buckets,  while  this  was  an 
adequate  self-supplying  as  well  as  discharging  apparatus. 
"  It  was  the  first  successful  and  complete  suction  fire-engine 
made  in  the  United  States,  far  excelling  and  superseding 
all  preceding  fire-engines  and  systems.  Its  original  cost  was 
'f725,  but  its  subsequent  elaborate  ornamentation,  at  the 
expense  of  the  company,  increased  the  cost  to  -13,000."  f 
The  company,  to  wliich  belonged  some  of  the  wealthy  and 
influential  citizens  (such  as  Zachariah  Allen  and  Elisha  Dyer, 
Jr.)  and  many  of  the  ablest  and  most  energetic  young  busi- 
ness men  (who  manned  the  brakes)  was  a  social  club  as  well. 


*  James  William  Wallack,  father  of  Lester  Wallack,  came  to  America 
in  1818,  and  I  saw  him  in  1819  in  the  old  Federal  Theatre  in  Boston.  To 
me  he  was  the  most  pleasant,  if  not  the  greatest,  actor  whom  I  ever  saw. 
I  have  seen  the  elder  Kean  as  Hamlet,  the  elder  Booth  as  Sir  Pertinax 
Mac  Sycophant  [in  Macklin's  comedy,  TJie  Way  of  the  Workl],  and  many 
other  stars.  But  Mr.  Wallack  as  Rolla,  Coriolanus,  Don  Felix  (in  Tlie 
Wonder),  and  in  Three  and  Deuce  and  The  Children  in  the  Wood,  not  to 
mention  Dick  Dashall  and  other  characters,  made  a  lasting  impression 
on  my  mind  that  he  was  the  great  actor  of  his  age.  [Journal,  March  25, 
1877.] 

t  Providence  Plantations,  p.  120. 


146 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE. 


Its  success,  both  in  putting  out  fires  and  in  having  "  jolly 
times,"  led  to  the  formation  of  other  like  organizations  which 
became  prominent  features  of  Providence  society.  They  had 
expensive  machines  adorned  with  gold  and  silver  decorations, 
handsome  halls  for  social  and  business  meetings,  and  brilliant 
uniforms  for  parades  and  excursions.  Running  to  a  fire  was 
usually  enlivened  by  a  race  with  a  rival  company.     Extiu- 


THE    FIRST    HYDRAULION    FIRE    ENGINE. 


guishing  the  blaze  was  made  enjoyably  exciting  by  the  effort 
to  "suck"  (empty)  or  "wash"  (fill  to  overflowing)  another 
"  tub,"  whenever  the  water  was  taken  from  a  distant  point 
and  pumped  from  engine  to  engine.  After  the  fire  had  been 
put  out,  two  companies  often  indulged  in  the  delightful  sport 
of  turning  their  streams  on  one  another,  each  endeavoring  to 
drown  out  the  other  and  drive  it  from  its  macliine. 

When  Stimson  &  Hodges  began  business,  fire  insurance  (as 
distinguished  from  marine  insurance)  was  in  its  infancy,  at 
least  in  Providence.  One  feature  of  its  growth  was  the  form- 
ation by  merchants  of  small  associations  for  fire  protection, 


SOCIAL   LIFE    IN   PROVIDENCE.  147 

such  as  The  Mutual  Fire  Society,  a  comparatively  old  organ- 
ization* which  father  joined  in  or  about  1830,  when  it  num- 
bered twenty-four  members,  a  list  of  whose  names,  residences 
and  places  of  business  he  preserved  among  his  papers. 

One  form  of  public  entertainment  then  in  vogue,  fortunately 
now  obsolete,  and  the  last  one  of  its  kind  recorded  in  these 
Journals,  may  be  noted  here  as  a  matter  of  history  :  —  "  1824, 
November  14.  I  witnessed  the  Rhode  Island  fashion  of  pun- 
ishing criminals  —  Bassett  flogged  with  39  lashes  for  horse- 
stealing ;  Randall  stood  in  the  pillory  on  Court  House  Square 
about  an  hour,  cropped  and  branded.  The  cropping  and 
branding  did  not  amount  to  much." 

The  people  of  Providence  must  have  been  a  sociable  and 
hospitable  folk,  for  there  is  frequent  mention,  sometimes  as 
often  as  once  a  week,  of  social  gatherings  at  private  houses. 
Ways  of  living  were  then  simple,  and  recreations  were  usually 
inexpensive.  To  "  give  a  party  "  meant  to  provide  a  room  or 
rooms  in  which  the  guests  could  chat,  sing,  dance  and  have  a 
good  time ;  if  a  "  collation "  was  added,  it  was  generally 
a  slight  repast  prepared  by  the  family  and  served  in  an  in- 
formal manner.  A  "ball"  was  a  more  imposing  affair,  in 
which  only  a  wealthy  resident  could  indulge  as  host.  Some 
of  the  military  companies,  the  First  Light  Infantry  for  in- 
stance, gave  annual  balls  at  their  armories.  But  these  were 
momentous  events,  and  not  very  frequent  at  this  period. 

Now  and  then  the  young  men  walked  to  some  tavern  for  a 
simple  meal.  "  1825,  December  25.  Walked  to  Pawtucket 
and  took  supper  at  Blake's.  Walked  back,  as  the  hackman 
asked  one  dollar  apiece  for  bringing  us  in."     Walking,!  often 


*  Jason  Williams  died  this  day  in  Providence  in  his  89th  year.  In  1830 
we  were  members  of  a  Fire  Society  which  he  had  joined  in  1802.  [Jour- 
nal, June  6,  1863.] 

t  Died  this  day  in  Boston,  John  Tuckerman,  aged  71  years.  In  the 
year  1824  he,  with  Charles  Graapner  and  Thaxter,  walked  from  Boston 
to  Providence  [about  forty  miles]  to  make  me  a  visit.  [Journal,  March 
28,  1871.] 


148  SOCIAL   LIFE    IN    PlIOVIDENCE. 

for  long  distances,  was  then  a  very  common  pastime,  espe- 
cially walking  for  a  supper,  and  so  continued  to  the  end  of  the 
Civil  War.  Thus  it  was  quite  usual  in  the  early  sixties  for 
Harvard  students  to  walk  into  Boston  in  the  evening,  partake 
of  a  twenty-five  cent  plate  of  delicious  waffles  at  Parker's 
popular  hotel,  or  a  fifteen-cent  dish  of  oysters  at  Copeland's 
oyster-house,  and  walk  back  to  Cambridge. 

Of  the  social  entertainments  at  Providence  participated  in 
by  my  father,  one  series  is  mentioned  over  and  over  again 
in  his  Journals  and  letters  as  pre-eminently  delightful ;  and  as 
late  as  1876  he  compiled  a  list  of  those  who  attended  regu- 
larly in  the  earliest  years  (1824  to  1826)  in  which  they  were 
held.  These  were  the  "  Cotillion  Parties,"*  of  which  he  was 
a  manager,  which  met  at  Peter  S.  Minard's  Washington  Hall. 
They  were  originated  by  a  number  of  young  men  who  held 
their  first  meeting,  of  which  he  was  chairman,  on  December 
20,  1824,  and  the  first  party  was  given  December  30,  on 
whicli  occasion  he  "  waited  on  "  Miss  Martha  Comstock,  whom 
he  married  about  three  years  later.  From  sixty  to  ninety 
young  ladies  and  gentlemen  attended  these  festive  meetings, 
for  wliich  "  party  "  seems  altogether  too  modest  a  title.  There 
was  dancing,  with  buglers  to  punctuate  the  time ;  and  there 
was  a  supper  of  cakes  and  pies  and  wine,  —  as  many  as  seven- 
teen bottles  of  wine,  costing  one  dollar  apiece,  were  charged 
in  one  bill ;  and  there  were  carriages  provided  for  some- 
bodies, perhaps  distinguished  guests,  at  the  general  expense  ; 
and  altogether  these  must  have  been  very  grand  occasions. 
The  first  season  each  party  cost  the  entertainers  about  seventy- 
five  dollars,  say  two  dollars  apiece,  and  there  were  four  parties 
each  winter.  The  business  management  must  have  been  good, 
as  at  the  end  of  one  season  there  was  on  hand  a  surplus  of 
eleven  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  which,  "  by  vote  of  the  Provi- 
dence Cotillion  Party,"  was  presented  to  the  Dorcas  Society. 

*See  Appendix  V. 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE.  149 

Being  very  fond  of  music,  and  possessing  a  sweet  tenor  voice 
of  somewhat  unusual  range,  father  became  a  member  of  sev- 
eral musical  associations.  The  first  of  these,  in  order  of  time, 
was  a  glee  club  which,  under  the  familiar  appellation  of  The 
Pig  and  Wliistle  Club,  met  frequently  for  practice,  sang  at 
social  gatherings,  and  on  balmy  nights  serenaded  the  young 
ladies.  Perhaps  they  sometimes  sang  at  political  meetings, 
for  one  of  their  songs  was  the  following  ditty,  then  locally 
popular,  which  refers  to  President  Andrew  Jackson  and  his 

"  Kitchen  Cabinet  "  :  * 

GLEE. 

Tune.  — "Z)ame  Burden." 

King  Andrew  had  five  trusty  Squires, 

Wtiom  he  held  his  bid  to  do  ; 
He  also  liad  three  pilot  fish, 

To  give  to  the  sharks  their  cue. 
There  was  Lew.  and  Ben.  and  Lev.  and  Bill, 

And  Roger  of  Tawney  hue, 
And  Blair  the  Book,  and  Kendall  chief  cook, 

And  Isaac,  surnamed  the  True. 
And  Blair  push'd  Lewis,  and  Ben.  touch'd  Billy, 
And  Ike  jogg'd  Levi,  and  Cass  touch'd  Amos 

And  Roger  of  Tawney  hue. 

Now  was  not  this  a  medley  crew 

As  ever  a  mortal  knew  ? 

King  Andrew  had  an  itching  palm 

To  finger  the  nation's  cash  ; 
Most  of  'em  thought  'twas  just  the  thing. 

But  some,  it  would  be  rash. 
He  asked  Lew.  and  Ben.  and  Lev.  and  Bill, 

And  Roger  of  Tawney  hue, 


*  The  eight  Kitchen  Cabinet  members  here  mentioned  were  :  Lewis 
Cass,  becretary  of  War  ;  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Attorney  General  ;  Levi 
Woodbury,  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  of  the  Treasury  ;  William  B.  Lewis 
of  Tennessee  ;  Roger  B.  Taney,  Attorney  General,  Acting  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  later  Chief  Justice  ;  Francis  P.  Blair,  Editor  of  the  Washing- 
ton Globe;  Amos  Kendall,  Postmaster  General  ;  and  Isaac  Hill,  Editor 
of  the  New  Hampshire  Patriot  and  U.  S.  Senator. 


150  SOCIAL   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE. 

And  Blair  the  Book,  and  Kendall  chief  cook, 

And  Isaac  surnamed  the  True. 
And  Blair  push'd  Lewis,  and  Ben.  touch'd  Billy 
And  Ike  jogg'd  Levi,  and  Cass  touch'd  Amos 

And  Roger  of  Tawney  hue. 

Now  was  not  this  a  medley  crew 

As  ever  a  mortal  knew  ? 

The  Gen'ral  took  his  cook's  advice, 

And  hurried  away  the  Rhino  ; 
But  where  it  went  —  aye,  there's  the  rub  — 

I'm  sure  neither  you  nor  I  know. 
For  there's  Lew.  and  Ben.  and  Lev.  and  Bill, 

And  Roger  of  Tawney  hue, 
And  Blair  the  Book,  and  Kendall  chief  cook. 

And  Isaac  surnamed  the  True. 
And  Blair  push'd  Lewis,  and  Ben.  touch'd  Billy 
And  Ike  jogg'd  Levi,  and  Cass  touch'd  Amos 

And  Roger  of  Tawney  hue. 

Now  was  not  this  a  medley  crew 

As  ever  a  mortal  knew  ? 

Early  in  1824  father  began  to  take  music  lessons  of  Oliver 
Shaw,*  on  either  the  violin  or  the  clarinet,  or  both,  as  he  played 
both  at  a  later  day.  In  the  spring  of  1826  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  ^olian  Society  at  its  first  meeting  — a  musi- 
cal society  which  breathed  softly  and  soon  died.  In  1827  and 
1828  he  was  treasurer,  and  his  friend  Cornelius  S.  Cartee  was 
secretary,  of  the  Rossini  Association,  which  ended  its  melo- 
dious existence  about  1829,  when  A.  D.  Hodges,  William  H. 
Townsend,  Sylvanus  Tingley  and  Cornelius  S.  Cartee,  "  Mem- 
bers of  the  Rossini  Association,"  did  "  resign  and  convey  to 
the  Philharmonic  Society  all  our  right,  title  and  interest  in 
and  to  eight  music  books." 

*  Oliver  Shaw,  aged  70,  au  old  and  valued  friend,  died  in  Providence 
December  31.  He  has  been  blind  over  fifty  years,  but  has  brought  up  a 
large  family  of  children  by  his  exertions  as  teacher  of  music.  [Journal, 
Jan.  1,  1S49.] 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  151 

The  Providence  Philharmonic  Society  was  probably  organ- 
ized by  Oliver  Shaw  in  1829,  and  became  at  once  one  of  the 
most  prominent  associations  of  the  place.  It  was  composed 
of  two  classes  of  members,  the  subscribers  and  the  active 
members,  and  comprised  an  orchestra  and  a  glee  club.  It  had 
a  successful  career  of  five  winter  seasons,  during  which  it 
gave  twenty-six  concerts  of  vocal  and  instrumental  music, 
besides  several  "  rehearsals,"  and  a  few  concerts  for  charita- 
ble purposes  open  to  the  public,  —  all  occasions  of  intense 
enjoyment  for  the  performers  and  presumably  of  pleasure  for 
the  auditors. 

The  names  of  those  active  members  who  are  mentioned  in 
father's  Journals  were  as  follows :  — 

Oliver  Shaw,  president  and  leader  Marcus   Coburn,  leader  of 
1829  to  1832.  the  glee  club. 

Edward  K.  Hansen,  violin  soloist,  William  E.  Cutting,  second 
president   and   leader  1833   to  clarinet.J 

1834.*  Eichard  E.  Eddy. 

A.  D.  Hodges,  first  clarinet,  sec-  John  F.  B.  Flagg.§ 

retary  ;  also  in  the  glee  club.  Joseph  C.  Greene,  bugle. 

Job  Angell.  Lang,  bugle. 

H.  E.  Barney.  Danforth  Lyon.|| 

Cornelius  S.  Cartee.f  John  Lyon. 

Samuel  Cartee.  Moses  Noyes. 


*  Edward  R.  Hansen,  aged  56,  died  in  Berlin,  111.,  July  9,  1854.  Late 
president  of  the  old  Philharmonic  Society  in  Providence.  An  accom- 
plished musician  and  a  valued  friend.     [Journal,  Sept.  14-,  1854.] 

t  See  Appendix  V. 

t  William  E.  Cutting,  in  his  48th  year.  Notice  of  his  death  in  the 
Providence  paper.  My  old  friend.  He  played  second  clarinet  to  my 
first  in  the  old  Providence  Philharmonic  Society.  {Journal,  Nov.  22, 
1S4S.] 

§  Dr.  J.  F.  B.  Flagg,  aged  about  70,  died  in  West  Chester,  Penn.,  on 
the  Sth  inst.  A  former  resident  of  Providence.  My  old  friend  and  dent- 
ist, and  fellow-member  of  the  Providence  Philharmonic  Society.  [Jour- 
nal, Sept.  17,  1872.] 

II  Danforth  Lyon,  aged  72,  died  in  Providence  this  day.  [Journul, 
Ain-il  12,  1857.] 


152 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE. 


James  N,  Olney.* 
George  Peirce. 
William  H.  Smith. f 


Samuel  Tingley. 
Sylvanus  Tingley. J 
Leander  M.  Ware. 


The  last  concert  of  the  Society  was  given  on  May  5,  1884, 
with  the  following  programme :  — 


(©(Dii®isia*a*' 


Tilt  Sixth  and  last  Concert  of  the  Course,  hy  Iht 
Philhamwnic  Society,  takes  place  at  the  Ma^oiuc 
Hall, 


IPiUBSnOtEfEiAffiSo 


Part  1. 

!    OvEBTnRE — La  Dame  Blanche 

2  Song — Cry  of  the  Hounds 

3  MiNUETTO — 

4  (iLEE — Hark  the  Curfew 

5  UONDO  — 

6  Ombra  Adorato — Two  Flutes,  Piano  accom- 

paniment 

7  Overture — Guy  Mannerinsf 


Boildim 

Bishop 

Gyi  oiLLtz 

JltWOOil 

CyroiLLiz 

Zin^cicll 
JUiiho]) 


Part  II. 

Overture — Tancredi 

Song— The  Sea 

Adagio  and  Minuetto — 

Solo— Violin     ^flft/^n/ 

Providence  First  Light  Infantry  Grand  Match 

Glee — Lutzow's  Wild  Hunt 

Finale — Battle  of  Prague. 


IiO!.SWl 

Chev.  JVeukomm 
Plcjd 


Hansen 
Vl^ebcr 


Subscribers  can  obtain  extra  tickets,  for  Ladies,  by  applying  at 
No   19,  Arcade. 
The  Overture  will  commence  at  quarter  before  8  o'clock 


*  See  Appendix  V.  One  of  the  founders  of  the  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  Phil- 
liarmouic  Society,  if  the  Editor's  memory  is  correct.  Founder  of  several 
musical  societies  in  San  Francisco  and  Oakland,  Cal. 

t  William  Henry  Smith  [possibly  not  the  member  of  the  Philharmonic 
Society]  died  in  Providence  on  the  19th  inst.  The  late  Governor  Dorr's 
Secretary  of  State.     [Journal,  May  20,  1S60.] 

I  Sylvanus  Tingley,  aged  about  72,  died  in  Attlehorough,  Mass.,  the 
last  summer.  A  member  of  the  old  Providence  Philharmonic  Society. 
[Journal,  Sept.  28,  1S54.] 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE.  153 

On  January  26,  1825,  a  debating  society  was  formed  with 
the  euphonious  title  of  The  Rliode  Island  Association  of 
Economical  and  Odd  Fellows  —  an  unofficial  variant  recorded 
is  The  Rascally  Ignorant  Abominable  Officious  Evil  Arrogant 
Odd  Fellows  —  whose  initials,  T.  R.  I.  A.  O.  *E.  A.  O.  F., 
were  used  in  the  printed  notices,  and  wliich  was  commonly 
called,  in  briefer  parlance.  The  Odd  Fellows.  "  The  society 
flourished  more  than  twenty  years,  and  numbered  among  its 
members  some  of  the  most  talented  men  of  Rhode  Island. 
The  officers  for  the  first  year  were :  F.  L.  Wheaton,  presi- 
dent ;  Allen  O.  Peck  and  Almon  D.  Hodges,  vice  presidents ; 
John  Howell,  secretary ;  besides  some  others  whose  names  I 
do  not  now  (1859)  remember,  except  Dudley  Hix,  the  door- 
keeper, the  queerest  and  most  comical  specimen  of  humanity 
ever  produced  in  that  neighborhood.  At  the  first  meeting 
the  president  delivered  a  witty  address,  and  James  A.  Jack- 
son recited  a  poem."  * 

The  members  of  this  society  believed  in  the  formal  observ- 
ance of  the  anniversaries  of  important  national  events,  and 
strove  to  spread  this  belief  among  their  fellow  citizens.  When 
they  could  not  induce  the  town  of  Providence  to  commemo- 
rate a  day  of  historical  importance  —  the  Glorious  Fourth,  for 
instance  —  they  held  a  celebration  of  their  own,  with  supper, 
oration  and  poem,  to  which  they  invited  prominent  guests. 
When  they  were  successful  in  their  efforts,  they  took  active 
part  in  the  public  ceremonies.  My  father  was  several  times  a 
member  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements  at  public  celebra- 
tions of  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  on  the  one  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  Washington's  Birthday,  he  acted  as  Chief  Marshal. f 

*  Kecollections  of  A.  D.  H. 

t  On  February  22,  1832,  the  100th  anniversary  of  Washington's  birth, 
I  acted  as  Marshal  of  the  Day,  George  W.  Hallett  and  James  N.  Olney 
being  Assistant  Marshals.  Judge  John  H.  Pitman  was  the  Orator,  and 
Samuel  Ames  read  the  Farewell  Address.  There  was  a  large  processiuu. 
After  the  oration  I  had  a  reception  at  my  residence  in  the  Eddy  house  on 
Brown  Street,  and  introduced  the  Assistant  Marshals  to  my  son  Dauforth, 
then  a  lad  of  five  months.     [Journal,  Feb.  26\  1875^  and  Feb.  22,  ISS..'. 


154  SOCIAL   LIFE    IN    PROVIDENCE. 

Tlie  spirit  of  the  time  with  reference  to  public  festivities 
is  shown  by  the  following  letter  printed  in  the  Providence 
Jour7ial  of  June  25,  1872  :  — 

Recollections  of  the  Olden  Time  in  Providence  — 
Fourth  of  July  Celebrations. 

Portsmouth,  R.  L,  June  21  [1872]. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  American  Independence,  1826,  was 
celebrated  in  Providence  by  a  grand  show  of  both  the  civil  and 
the  military  authorities.  General  Josiah  Whitaker  and  Colonel 
Nehemiah  S.  Draper  were  of  the  committee  of  arrangements,  and 
they  were  very  successful  in  their  efforts  to  make  the  celebration 
worthy  of  the  occasion.  Hon.  William  Hunter  delivered  the  ora- 
tion in  the  First  Congregational  Church  (Dr.  Edes),  and  it  was 
one  of  his  most  successful  efforts.  During  one  of  his  most  happy 
flights  of  oratory,  he  looked  over  the  pulpit  into  a  pew  near  the 
front,  where  were  seated  four  of  "  the  boys,"  as  he  termed  them 
with  an  eloquent  reference  to  their  act,  who  had  a  hand  in  the 
destruction  of  the  English  ship  Gaspee  in  Providence  River  at 
the  commencement  of  tlie  Revolution  ;  and  such  a  storm  of  ap- 
plause arose  from  the  closely  packed  audience  as  was  never  before 
heard  in  that  venerable  house.  Dr.  Ephraim  Bowen,  Dr.  John 
Mawney  and  Turpin  Smith  were  there  seated  as  three  of  "the 
boys."  * 

There  had  been  an  opposition  to  the  appropriation  of  large  sums 
of  money  for  sucli  occasions  for  a  few  years,  and  if  my  recollec- 
tion serves  me  rightly,  five  hundred  dollars,  an  extraordinary  sum 
for  the  occasion,  were  appropriated  for  that  year.  The  opposition 
at  the  Town  House  was  so  intense  against  a  celebration  in  1827, 
or  it  was  found  so  difficult  to  get  gentlemen  to  serve  on  the  com- 
mittee, that  it  was  passed  over  at  the  town  meeting.     But  the 


*  The  same  writer  in  another  letter  on  tliis  same  subject,  printed  in 
the  Providence  Journal  of  July  4,  1876,  stated  :  "Tlie  four  boys  referred 
to  above  were  Col.  Ephraim  Bowen,  Cajjt.  Turpin  Smith,  Dr.  John 
Mawney  and  Capt.  Benjamin  Page,  all  nearly  or  over  eighty  years  of 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  155 

young  men  took  the  matter  in  hand,  a  very  generous  sum  was 
raised  by  suhscrij^tion,  a  committee  of  young  men,  sixteen  in  num- 
ber, was  appointed,  and  a  splendid  celebration  followed.  William 
S.  Patten  was  chairman ;  Amos  D.  Smith  was  secretary ;  Albert 
G.  Greene,  one  of  the  best  speakers  in  those  days  for  occasions  of 
the  kind,  was  the  orator ;  and  excellently  well  did  all  parties  do 
their  parts.  The  committee  erected  a  splendid  arch,  spanning  the 
Great  Bridge,  which  our  oldest  citizens  probably  will  recollect. 

When  the  next  year's  June  town  meeting  was  held  (1828)  for 
the  purpose  of  making  an  appropi'iation  for  celebrating  the  fifty- 
second  anniversary,  we  had  the  usual  opposition,  but,  if  I  recollect 
rightly,  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  were  appropriated.  The 
usual  difficulty  about  obtaining  a  committee  of  arrangements 
arose  at  the  meeting.  A  great  many  gentlemen  were  tendered 
the  honor,  but  all  declined  except  Almon  D.  Hodges  and  Samuel 
I.  Smith.  Both  of  these  being  absent  from  town,  there  was  no 
opportunity  for  them  to  decline  at  the  meeting ;  and  on  their  ar- 
rival home  they  consented  to  serve  provided  that  they  could 
obtain  an  orator.  After  they  had  called  on  a  large  number  of 
eloquent  gentlemen  who  declined,  Rev.  David  Pickering  con- 
sented, with  the  understanding  that  some  other  reverend  gentle- 
man should  make  the  prayer.  A  large  number  of  the  ministers 
of  Providence  were  called  on  and  all  declined.  In  this  dilemma 
the  orator  told  the  committee  that,  if  it  would  be  any  particular 
accommodation  to  them,  he  would  serve  as  orator,  make  the  prayer, 
perform  the  sexton's  and  the  usher's  duties  —  do  anything  except 
play  on  the  organ ;  he  somewhat  doubted  his  ability  to  do  that. 
And  as  his  organist,  Henry  H.  Fish,  was  absent,  he  proposed  con- 
gregational music  without  the  organ.  The  reverend  gentleman 
went  through  all  services  required  of  him,  very  much  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  committee  and  with  a  very  happy  effect  on  the 
audience.  The  committee,  having  some  doubts  of  the  appropria- 
tion holding  out,  sj)ent  thirty  dollars  for  fireworks,  which,  with 
the  assistance  of  Edward  Carlisle,  they  fired  off  thetnselves,  from 
an  old  scow  on  the  Cove  in  the  evening.  According  to  the  best 
of  my  remembrance,  these  were  the  first  fireworks  at  a  Fourth  of 
July  celebration  in  Providence,  and  w^ere  quite  satisfactory  to  the 
assembled  crowd. 


156  SOCIAL   LIFE   IN"    PROVIDENCE. 

The  appropriation  was  not  all  expended,  and  the  balance  in  the 
hands  of  the  committee,  twenty-three  dollars  and  eighty-two  cents, 
was  paid  back  to  the  venerable  town  treasurer,  John  Rowland,  who 
said  to  the  writer  that  such  an  act,  according  to  his  best  recollection, 
knowledge  and  belief,  had  never  before  been  heard  of.     a.  d.  h. 

The  Providence  Athenaeum  was  chartered  originally  in 
June,  1831.  It  later  united  with  the  Providence  Library, 
and  the  consolidated  society  was  incorporated  in  January, 
1836,  as  The  Atheneum,  A.  D.  Hodges  being  one  of  the 
corporators.  The  library  was  located  in  the  Arcade  until 
July  16,  1836,  when  the  present  building  on  Benefit  Street 
was  opened. 

Commencement  Day  at  Brown  University  was  for  many 
years  the  great  holiday  of  Providence.  All  citizens  were 
supposed  to  be  at  home,  and  a  large  number  kept  open  house. 
From  time  out  of  mind  until  Dr.  Wayland  became  president 
(in  1827),  it  had  been  the  custom  on  the  evening  before 
Commencement  for  the  students  to  illuminate  the  various 
buildings,  entertain  their  friends,  and  have  a  general  jollifica- 
tion, attracting  crowds  to  the  college  grounds.  This  custom 
Dr.  Wayland  abolished,  despite  strong  opposition  on  the  part 
of  the  students. 

Monday,  August  23, 1824,  was  a  great  day  for  Rhode  Island, 
and  a  long  and  oratorical  day  for  the  Nation's  Guest,  General 
Lafaj'^ette. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  General  left  Plainfield,  Connecti- 
cut, about  thirty  miles  from  Providence,  and  rode  under  escort 
to  the  State  line.  Here  he  was  met,  with  welcoming  speeches, 
by  the  aides  of  the  Governor  of  Rhode  Island  and  other 
persons,  and  conducted  to  the  Providence  boundary.  At  this 
point  the  representatives  of  the  town  met  him,  delivered 
themselves  of  their  speech,  and  placed  him  in  a  barouche 
drawn  by  four  white  horses ;  and  amid  the  booming  of 
cannon,  he  was  escorted  through  town  by  a  procession  more 


GENERAL    LAFAYETTE. 


GENERAL   LAFAYETTE.  157 

than  a  mile  long.  The  General  rode  alone,  uncovered,  sa- 
luted with  a  continuous  roar  of  cheers,  —  the  crowd,  through 
which  he  passed  slowly,  taking  advantage  of  every  pause  to 
obtain  the  honor  of  grasping  his  hand.  It  was  a  general  holi- 
day.    All  the  stores  were  closed  and  all  business  ceased. 

At  the  foot  of  the  State  House  parade,  on  North  Main 
Street,  Lafayette  alighted  and  walked  between  lines  of  wliite- 
clad  girls  who  strewed  his  path  with  flowers.  Entering  the 
State  House,  he  embraced  his  former  companion  in  arms, 
Stephen  Olney,  and  was  received — with  more  oratory — by 
Governor  James  Fenner  and  other  officials.  Crossing  Benefit 
Street  to  the  Globe  tavern,*  he  held  there  a  popular  reception, 
and  was  banqueted,  and  toasted,  by  the  town  authorities. 
About  half-j^ast  four  in  the  afternoon,  arm  in  arm  with  the 
Governor,  he  walked  in  review  in  front  of  the  militia,  drawn 
up  on  parade  on  Benefit  Street,  and  on  arriving  at  the  end  of 
the  line  was  again  addressed.  Entering  a  carriage  with  the 
Governor,  an  officer  of  the  militia  (Col.  Bowen),  and  a  dis- 
tinguished citizen  (Zachariah  Allen),  he  rode  away,  cheered 
by  the  populace  and  escorted  by  a  numerous  company  on 
horseback  and  in  carriages. 

In  Pawtucket  the  General  was  greeted  by  a  display  of 
flags,  ringing  of  bells,  salutes  of  artillery,  and  a  fresh  con- 
course of  enthusiastic  people.  He  alighted  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  many  citizens  were  introduced  to  him,  shook  hands  with 
him,  and  evinced  a  willingness  to  address  him.  Thence  he 
proceeded,  still  under  escort,  to  the  Massachusetts  boundary, 
which  he  reached  at  six  o'clock,  where  he  was  formally  and 
oratorically  turned  over  to  the  care  of  the  Bay  State,  repre- 
sented officially  by  the  Governor's  staff  and  unofficially  by  an 
admiring  multitude. 


*Then  kept  by  Sanford  Horton.  Called  formerly  the  Goldea  Ball 
Inn,  and  subsequently  Chappotin's  Tavern  and  Hotel  and  the  City  Man- 
sion House. 


158  GENERAL   LAFAYETTE. 

The  triumphal  procession  moved  on  along  the  turnpike 
to  Boston,  everywhere  greeted  with  enthusiasm.  At  eight 
o'clock  it  came  to  Fuller's  tavern  in  Walpole,  where  "  a  large 
battalion  of  troops  "  was  encountered ;  also  shoutings  and  ad- 
dresses. Near  midnight  Dedham  was  reached.  The  town 
was  illuminated.  A  brief  stop  was  made,  a  large  number  of 
ladies  and  gentlemen  was  introduced  and  a  few  brief  speeches 
were  spoken.  At  Roxbury  there  were  rockets,  salvos  of  artil- 
lery, and  more  cheering;  and  here,  escorted  by  a  throng  of 
people,  he  arrived  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  at  the  resi- 
dence of  his  old  friend  of  the  Continental  Army,  Governor 
William  Eustis,  was  embraced,  introduced,  hand-shaken,  ad- 
dressed, cheered  madly,  and  finally  allowed  to  go  to  bed. 

This  seems  to  have  been  a  sample  day  of  Lafayette's  tri- 
umphant tour  through  the  United  States,  That  for  a  whole 
year  he  could  listen  diurnally  to  so  many  "  eloquent  speeches  " 
and  make  so  many  "  fitting  replies,"  indicates  strong  powers 
of  endurance. 

The  son  of  Jonathan  Hodges  of  the  Continental  Army  was 
not  the  man  to  remain  quiet  on  such  an  occasion.  He  was 
among  the  most  enthusiastic  of  those  who  welcomed  Lafay- 
ette at  Providence,  and  his  enthusiasm  was  not  satisfied  with 
one  day  of  welcome.  After  the  banquet,  he  and  other  ardent 
young  men  secured  an  extra  stage  and  started  for  Boston, 
keeping  a  little  in  advance  of  the  General.  When  Fuller's 
tavern  in  South  Walpole  was  reached,  it  being  quite  dark,  the 
battalion  of  light  infantry  posted  there  mistook  the  first  car- 
riage for  that  containing  the  General,  and  gave  its  occupants 
a  military  salute.  The  salute  was  returned  with  such  over- 
charged pomp  and  politeness  by  the  party  in  the  stage,  that 
the  troops  were  first  stunned  and  then  excited.  Stony  pro- 
jectiles flew  towards  the  vehicle,  whose  driver  whipped  up  his 
horses  and  carried  his  rejoicing  passengers  out  of  range. 

At  half-past  twelve  o'clock  the  party  reached  Boston  and 
passed  the  store  of  J.  D.  &  M.  Williams.     Here  father,  fear- 


GENERAL   LAFAYETTE.  159 

ing  great  difficulty  in  securing  a  bed  at  any  public  house  on 
account  of  the  crowds  pouring  into  the  city,  made  a  burglari- 
ous entry  and  took  possession  of  the  bedchamber  of  the 
clerks,  who  had  gone  to  Roxbury  to  see  the  reception  at 
the  Eustis  house.  Arising  at  five  o'clock,  he  hunted  up  his 
old  company,  the  Boston  City  Guards,  who  welcomed  him  to 
their  ranks.  With  this  company,  acting  as  non-commissioned 
officer,  he  marched  to  again  greet  Lafayette. 

It  was  one  of  Boston's  greatest  celebrations.  The  city 
authorities,  the  military  companies,  and  a  great  throng  of 
civilians  marched  out  on  the  Neck  to  the  Roxbury  line. 
Here  General  Lafayette  was  received  in  the  usual  manner, 
Mayor  Josiah  Quincy  "  speaking  with  great  eloquence,"  and 
the  General  "  making  a  fitting  reply."  Then  the  procession 
—  the  largest  escort  ever  seen  in  Boston  up  to  this  time  — 
started  back  through  the  crowded  streets  and  past  the  pro- 
fusely decorated  houses,  amid  peals  of  bells,  roars  of  cannon 
and  shoutings  of  the  multitude.  On  arriving  at  the  Common, 
the  General  reviewed  the  pupils  of  the  public  schools  who, 
drawn  up  in  double  lines  on  the  Tremont  Street  Mall  and 
attired  in  red,  white  and  blue,  sang  the  Marseillaise  and  threw 
flowers  before  his  feet.  At  the  State  House  the  State  and 
City  authorities  formally  received  their  guest,  who  was  after- 
wards escorted  to  his  temporary  residence  at  the  head  of  Park 
Street,  where  he  held  a  public  reception.  About  five  o'clock 
there  was  the  usual  banquet,  with  the  inevitable  toasts,  at  the 
Exchange  Coffee  House. 

The  most  notable  decoration  this  day  was  a  triumphal  arch 
on  Washington  Street,  just  south  of  Dover  Street,  at  the  site 
of  the  ancient  barrier  of  1631,  the  brick-,  stone-  and  earth- 
works of  1710,  and  the  stronger  fortifications  of  1774.  In- 
scribed on  this  arch  was  a  motto  (written  by  Boston's 
banker-poet,  Charles  Sprague)  wliich  became  famous,  and  is 
said  to  have  called  tears  to  the  eyes  of  General  Lafayette. 
"  It  made  such  an  impression   on  me,"  wrote  my  father  in 


160  BUNKER   HILL  MONUMENT. 

1875,  "  that  I  committed  it  to  memory,  and  it  has  remained 
with  me  more  than  fifty  years :  — 

'  The  fathers  in  glory  shall  sleep, 

Who  gathered  with  thee  to  the  fight ; 
But  their  sons  will  eternally  keep 

The  tablet  of  gratitude  bright. 
We  bow  not  the  head,  we  bend  not  the  knee. 
But  our  hearts,  Lafayette,  we  surrender  to  thee.'  " 

On  Wednesday  father  returned  by  stage  to  Providence, 
starting  from  Boston  at  nine  in  the  morning,  stopping  two 
hours  for  dinner  at  Policy's  tavern  in  Walpole,  and  arriving 
home  at  sunset. 

Another,  perhaps  grander,  occasion  on  which  Lafayette  was 
the  principal  star,  and  in  which  my  father  participated,  was 
the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  Bunker  Hill  Monument  on 
June  17,  1825. 

On  the  15th  of  June*  a  jjarty  of  six  young  men,  representing 
the  senior  class  of  Brown  LTniversity  (such  of  the  students  as 
wished  to  attend  the  celebration  being  granted  a  vacation  for  the 
purpose),  the  Providence  Cadets,  the  Providence  Light  Infantry, 
and  the  Pig  and  Whistle  Club,  four  in  a  hack  and  two  in  a  chaise, 
started  from  Providence  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  attend 
the  great  celebration  at  Charlestown.  These  were  CorneHus  S. 
Cartee  of  Brown,  Capt.  Solomon  II.  Mudge  of  the  Cadets,  Isaac 
H.  Cady,  Almon  D.  Hodges  (these  in  the  hack),  John  K.  Bartlett, 
for  many  years  Secretary  of  State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  Albert 
F.  Dyer.  We  intended  to  take  it  leisui-ely  and  to  have  a  good 
time  generally ;  and  fearing  that  we  might  not  find  accommoda- 
tion at  a  hotel,  on  account  of  the  great  rush  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  we  took  along  a  company  tent  with  all  its  equipments, 
intending  to  pitch  it  on  Boston  Common  in  case  of  emergency. 

We  reached  Taunton  at  seven  o'clock  and  there  breakfasted. 
At  ten  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Bridgewater  and  encamped  in  a  va- 

*  Condensed  from  the  printed  narratives  of  A.  D.  Hodges  and  Cor- 
nelius S.  Cartee,  found  among  father's  papers. 


BUNKER   HILL   MONUMENT.  161 

cant  lot  near  the  South  Bridgewater  meeting  house.  Here  we 
remained  until  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  dining  and  singino- 
songs  and  glees,  which  soon  drew  around  us  a  goodly  companj'^  of 
the  villagers.  In  return  for  our  music,  we  were  honored  with  a 
serenade  by  the  Bridgewater  Band. 

At  seven  o'clock  we  reached  Randolph  and  encamped  for  the 
night.  After  supper  we  gave  a  free  concert  to  a  large  and  de- 
lighted audience.  The  programme  was  made  up  of  glees  which 
were  so  popular  at  that  time,  such  as  "Dame  Durden,"  "Chairs  to 
Mend,"  "The  Minute  Gun  at  Sea,"  "Poor  Johnny's  Dead,"  and 
"  Crows  in  a  Cornfield,"  all  of  which  were  received  with  unbounded 
applause. 

We  broke  camp  the  next  (Thursday)  morning  at  four  o'clock 
and  arrived  in  Boston  at  seven,  and  were  fortunate  enough  to  find 
quarters  at  the  old  Tontine  Coffee  House  on  Washington  Street, 
a  few  doors  above  Milk  Street.  Thence  we  sallied  forth  "  to  see 
whatever  could  be  seen ; "  and  Friday's  dawn,  "  big  with  the  fate 
of  see  sir  and  of  roam"  found  us  ready  to  play  our  part  without  a 
prompter. 

It  was  a  lovely  day.  New  England  was  largely  represented, 
and  great  numbers  were  present  from  other  States  of  the  Union. 
The  procession,  said  to  be  over  three  miles  in  length,  was  formed 
at  the  State  House  in  Boston  and  marched  to  the  summit  of 
Bunker  Hill  in  Charlestown.  The  van,  composed  of  a  large  mili- 
tary escort  in  brilliant  array,  200  veterans  of  the  Revolution  (40 
of  them,  survivors  of  the  battle,  in  barouches),  some  wearing  the 
equipments  of  their  ancient  and  honorable  service,  a  large  body 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  in  splendid  regalia,  an  extended  line  of 
societies  and  associations  with  their  badges  and  banners,  and,  con- 
spicuous among  all,  the  honored  guest  of  the  Nation,  General 
Lafayette,  the  streets  thronged  even  to  the  house-tops  with  a  joy- 
ous multitude,  —  all  these  presented  a  spectacle  never  before  wit- 
nessed on  this  continent. 

With  appropriate  ceremonies,  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  con- 
course, the  corner-stone  was  laid  by  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  Massachusetts,  assisted  by  General  Lafayette,  himself  a 
Mason  of  high  degree,  and  by  Daniel  Webster,  President  of  the 
Bunker  Hill  Monument  Association.      The  procession  then  moved 


162  BUNKER  HILL   MONUMENT. 

to  a  spacious  amphitheatre  on  the  northern  declivity  of  the  hill, 
to  hear  Mr.  Webster's  address.  At  the  end  of  his  grand  oration 
the  entire  multitude,  with  the  old  Boston  Brigade  Band  accom- 
panying, sang  "  Old  Hundred "  in  a  style  never  before  heard. 
After  this  came  the  grand  banquet  in  an  edifice  erected  on  Bunker 
Hill  for  the  purpose.  Here  were  collected  four  thousand  guests 
and  subscribers  to  the  dinner. 

The  next  day  was  devoted  by  us  to  sight-seeing,  and,  on  the 
day  after,  our  party  returned  to  Providence.  We  had  a  very 
grand  and  a  very  jovial  time,  and  not  a  single  incident  had  oc- 
curred to  mar  our  ])leasure. 

Eighteen  years  later,  in  1843,  Colonel  Hodges  —  he  was 
Colonel  then  —  was  present  at  the  dedication  of  the  Monu- 
ment. The  principal  guest  on  this  occasion  was  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  Daniel  Webster  was  again  the 
orator. 

On  June  15  President  Tyler  and  his  suite  arrived  at  noon 
in  Providence  and  were  received  by  the  city  officials  and  the 
military  companies.  Colonel  Hodges  commanding  the  Provi- 
dence Horse  Guai'ds.  The  President  was  escorted  to  the 
Franklin  House  where  a  collation  was  served,  held  a  recep- 
tion at  Westminster  Hall,  and  visited  Brown  University.  At 
half-past  five  he  dined  at  the  Franklin  House  with  the  city 
authorities,  and  in  the  evening  took  tea  with  Governor 
Feinier  and  attended  a  party  at  Mayor  Clifford's  residence. 
The  next  morning  he  departed  for  Boston. 

On  Saturday,  June  17,  Colonel  Hodges,  with  the  Provi- 
dence Light  Infantry  (and  many  citizens),  left  Providence  at 
half-past  five  in  the  morning  and  arrived  in  Boston  at  half- 
past  seven.  They  joined  the  procession  which  began  to  move 
from  the  Common  about  nine  o'clock,  sixty  companies  of 
militia  with  twenty-four  bands  of  music  forming  the  first 
division.  When  the  rear  of  this  division  had  passed  the 
State  House,  the  Governor's  body-guard  (the  Boston  and  the 
Salem    Cadets)   fell    in,   escorting  the    high   dignitaries  and 


BUNKER   HILL   MONUMENT.  im 

the  invited  guests,  who  were  in  carriages.  Among  the  guests 
were  108  veterans  of  the  Revolution.  Then  followed  the 
second  division,  composed  of  prominent  of6cials  and  citizens 
from  the  New  England  and  other  States,  and  numerous  so- 
cieties. The  procession  occupied  one  hour  in  passing  a  given 
point,  and  reached  Monument  Square  in  Charlestown  two 
hours  after  leaving  the  State  House.  The  Presidential  party 
with  the  guests  drove  at  once  into  the  Square,  escorted  by 
the  Boston  Lancers  and  the  Cadets  (the  rest  of  the  military 
escort  remaining  without),  and  were  followed  by  the  second 
division.  Then  the  guards  were  withdrawn  and  the  attendant 
throng  rushed  in. 

After  a  prayer  by  Rev.  George  E.  Ellis,  Mr.  J.  T.  Bucking- 
ham, President  of  the  Monument  Association,  introduced  the 
orator  of  the  day,  who  for  an  hour  and  fifty-six  minutes  (those 
who  couldn't  hear  could  gaze  at  their  watches)  charmed  and 
swayed  liis  audience  by  liis  eloquence.  Meantime  the  militia 
outside  the  Square  received  their  rations  as  a  substitute  for 
rhetoric. 

After  the  oration,  the  procession  reformed  and  marched 
back  to  Boston,  where  were  other  festivities,  including  the 
customary  banquet.  For  these  proceedings  Colonel  Hodges 
and  the  majority  of  the  Providence  visitors  did  not  wait,  but 
so  soon  as  Mr.  Webster  ceased  speaking,  hurried  back  to  the 
railroad  station  in  Boston  and  took  the  half-past  four  train 
home.  "  I  arrived  at  home  at  a  quarter-past  six,  after  passing 
a  very  pleasant  day,"  wrote  our  Journalist,  with  much  less 
enthusiasm  than  he  had  expressed  concerning  the  celebration 
of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  Monument. 

A  third  time  (it  was  the  second  time  chronologically)  my 
father  started  with  Providence  friends  to  foregather  at  Bunker 
Hill.  It  was  on  September  10,  1840,  when  the  Wliigs  held 
their  "  great  Bunker  Hill  Convention,"  claimed  as  the  largest 
political  meeting  held  in  New  England  since  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War.     To    this    came    delegates    from    almost 


164  WHIG   CELEBRATIONS. 

every  part  of  the  Union,  Rhode  Island  sending  nearly  two 
thousand.  A  procession  three  miles  long,  with  numbers  esti- 
mated from  50,000  to  75,000,  marched  from  the  Common  in 
Boston  to  Bunker  Hill,  where  Daniel  Webster,  "  surrounded 
by  the  venerable  men  who  fought  the  battles  of  the  Revolu- 
tion," made  the  principal  address. 

Father,  not  feeling  well,  dropped  out  of  the  procession  as 
it  left  the  Common.  He  dined  with  his  dear  friend  Moses 
Williams,  and  in  the  evening  attended  a  political  meeting  at 
the  Odeon.  He  spent  the  night  with  his  friend  Dr.  Marshall 
S.  Perry,  who  sent  him  home  the  next  morning.  There  he 
took  to  his  bed  for  nearly  a  month,  laid  up  with  inflammatory 
rheumatism,*  variegated  by  an  abscess  of  the  cheek  which 
entirely  closed  one  eye  and  caused  the  loss  of  several  pieces 
of  the  cheek  bones. 

Father  was  present  at  the  Clay  and  Frelinghuysen  celebra- 
tion in  Boston  on  September  10,  1844,  to  which  Rhode  Island 
sent  a  large  delegation.  He  saw  the  long  procession  of  horse- 
men and  footmen  and  bands  of  music,  with  a  great  profusion 
of  flags  and  of  banners  inscribed  with  mottoes  and  devices. 
The  streets  were  lined  with  crowds,  and  the  houses  were 
decorated  with  flags,  streamers,  flowers  and  evergreens.  He 
attended  the  big,  fervent  mass  meeting  on  the  Common,  which 
vociferously  applauded  Daniel  Webster  and  other  impassioned 
speakers  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Not  until  the  Civil 
War  was  there  another  such  enthusiastic  political  gathering 
in  New  England ;  never  since  that  date  has  there  been  a 
political  meeting  at  which  so  many  representatives  from  so 
many  different  States  have  been  present. 

On  September  6,  1842,  my  father  journeyed  to  Taunton 
and  six  miles  beyond,  and  visited  a  "  Mormon  Camp  Meet- 
ing." But  as  to  what  was  done  there,  or  how  he  was  im- 
pressed, the  Journal  is  silent. 

*  He  had  had  a  five-weeks'  attack  of  this  in  1838. 


MILITARY   SERVICE  IN    RHODE   ISLAND. 


N  September  30,  1824,  "having  been  duly  warned, 
I  turned  out  in  the  ranks  of  the  Ward  Militia 
company,  under  command  of  Capt.  Christian  M. 
Nestell,  and  was  appointed  corporal  pro  tern.  We 
marched  to  the  Training  Field,  where  the  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Col.  Earl  Carpenter,  had  a  field  day,  including  a 
sham  fight  by  the  light  troops."* 

On  July  9,  1825,  Almon  D.  Hodges  was  appointed  and 
commissioned  Adjutant  of  the  2nd  Regiment,  2nd  Brigade  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Militia,  by  Colonel  John  Church ;  and  on 
May  25,  1826,  the  commission  was  renewed.  This  was  a 
favorite  office.  The  uniform  of  the  Adjutant  was  considered 
the  handsomest  worn,  and  his  duties  on  parade  and  drill 
made  him  very  prominent. 

On  the  fourth  Monday  of  June,  1827,  Adjutant  Hodges 
was  elected  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  same  regiment  by 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  State,  and  was  commissioned 
accordingly  by  "  His  Excellency,  James  Fenner,  Governor, 
Captain-General  and  Commander  in  Chief  of  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations,"  under  date  of 
July  2,  1827. 

On  the  first  Wednesday  of  May,  1828,  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Hodges  was  elected  Colonel  of  the  same  regiment  by  the 
General  Assembly,  and  was  commissioned  by  the  Governor 
on  May  12,  1828. 

These  military  elections  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  com- 
missions by  the  Governor,  were  for  the  term  of  one  year  only. 

*  Recollections  of  A.  D.  H. 
(1(35) 


106        WILITARY    SERVICE   IN   RHODE   ISLAND. 

Colonel   Hodges  was   re-elected  yearly  until  1833,  when  he 
declined  to  serve  longer. 

Although  my  father  always  maintained  the  proper  dignity 
of  any  position  wliich  he  held,  he  never  allowed  consideration 


TO  ALL  CONCEBNEB. 

BY  virtue  of  Authority,  in  me  vested  by  the  Honourable  General  As- 
eemljly  of  the  SMe  q£-  FAe^-lbjgind  and  Providence  Plantatiop,  J  dohereW. 
appoint  ^o\ifipp^ffr^t^  J^Mz-^^I^A  to  the  Office  oi^Mlf^^t^C^r>^, 
in  the  Second  Rcgtoient  of  Mililia/^^m^State,  under  my  command. 

In  executing  the  duties  of  which  Office,  you  will  strictly  conform  (o  the 
orders  you  may  receive  from  youf  superior  Officers j_^£ir  j^phich  this  shall  be 
your  sufficient  Warrant, 

Qvven,  underfiny^nd  and  seal  this  c^/l/'ytV^^^^-^^ -'  ^ay  «fj 


^^^y 


of  the  second  Regiment 
f  Militia,  State  of  Rhode-Island, 
in  the  second  Brigade^ 


COMMISSION    AS    ADJUTANT    2d    REGIMENT. 


of  rank  to  interfere  in  the  least  with  duty  to  country  or 
friends.  Thus,  when  the  First  Light  Infantry  made  a  trip 
to  Worcester  in  July,  1829,  Colonel  Hodges,  at  the  solicitation 
of  Captain  Field,  accepted  temporarily  the  subordinate  posi- 
tion of  Oommissary  of  the  compayiy,  and  served  in  this  capacity 


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COMMISSION   AS   LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  2d   REGIMENT. 


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COMMISSION   AS  COLONEL  2ci    REGIMENT. 


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COMMISSION   AS  COLONEL  OF  PROVIDENCE  HORSE  GUARDS. 


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COL.  A.   D.   HODGES, 


Providence   Horse  Guards. 


MILITARY   SERVICE   IN   RHODE   ISLAND.       171 

during  the  journey.*  When  the  riots  broke  out  in  Provi- 
dence in  1831,  and  the  town  was  thrown  into  alarm,  Colonel 
Hodges  assumed  the  still  lower  grade  of  Orderly  Sergeant  of 
a  hastily-raised  volunteer  guard,  and  patrolled  the  streets 
during  the  night.  And  when,  on  May  18,  1842,  the  city  was 
aroused  at  midnight  by  the  report  that  the  Dorrites  were 
attacking  the  State  arsenal,  this  man,  who  had  commanded  a 
regiment,  hastened  to  the  armory  of  the  First  Light  Infantry 
and  marched  in  the  rmiks  of  the  company  to  repel  the  attack. 
Intense  loyalty  to  his  country  was  a  marked  trait  in  my 
father's  character.  He  was  no  believer  in  the  Divine  Right 
of  Governors  or  of  Presidents  or  even  of  Party  Managers  ; 
but  he  saw  clearly  that  in  a  Republic  it  would  be  ruinous  to 
liberty  if  the  minority  of  voters  at  any  election,  being  dis- 
satisfied with  the  result,  were  allowed  to  alter  that  result  by 
force  of  arms.  Hence  it  was  that,  while  not  claiming  perfec- 
tion for  the  Constitution  of  his  State,  and  while  willing  to 
modify  it  by  legal  methods,  he  at  once  came  to  the  front  to 
defend  that  Constitution  and  the  Government  under  it  from 
an  attempt  to  destroy  them  by  violence.  Thus  he  was  brought 
back  in  1842  into  the  militar}^  life  which,  he  had  supposed, 
he  had  abandoned  permanently  on  account  of  business  and 
family  duties.  He  served  energetically  wherever  his  services 
were  most  needed  at  the  time,  whether  as  private  in  the  ranks 

*The  itinerary  of  this  journey  was  as  follows  :  The  company,  with  a 
band  of  four  pieces,  left  Providence  on  July  2  at  5.15  A.  M.,  and  marched 
to  Horton's  Grove  on  the  Blackstone  River,  where  breakfast  was  served 
at  9  A.  M.  It  then  took  the  canal  boat  Independence  on  the  Blackstone 
Canal,  and  was  hauled  to  Millbury,  Mass.,  reaching  this  town  at  9  P.  M., 
and  encamping  there.  The  Commissary  supped  on  bread  and  milk. 
The  next  morning  the  company  re-embarked  at  6  A.  M.,  and  arrived  at 
Worcester  at  8.30  A.  M. 

The  Blackstone  Canal,  from  Providence  to  Worcester,  was  opened  to 
use  July  1,  1828.  It  was  built  along  the  course  of  the  Blackstone  River, 
portions  of  this  stream  being  utilized  where  it  was  feasible.  It  was 
44%  miles  long,  45  feet  wide  and  4  feet  deep,  and  had  49  locks.  It 
proved  a  financial  failure. 


172      MILITARY   SERVICE   IN   RHODE   ISLAND. 

or  as  commissioned  officer.  In  recognition  of  his  helpfulness, 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island  presented  him  with  a  revolving 
carbine  and  two  horse  pistols,  wliich  he  bequeathed  to  his 
youngest  son. 

In  May,  1842,  there  were  armed  forces  in  Providence,  seem- 
ingly ready  to  attack  one  another.  On  tlie  one  hand  were  the 
adherents  of  Thomas  W.  Dorr,  declaring  that  they  would  seize 
the  public  property ;  on  tlie  other  hand  were  the  militia  com- 
panies, adhering  to  the  legal  authority  and  prepared  to  sup- 
port it.  Excitement  rose  to  fever  heat.  About  a  thousand 
men  volunteered  in  defence  of  "  Law  and  Order "  and  were 
enrolled  in  the  "Regiment  of  Police  Companies  in  the  City  of 
Providence."  On  June  4  the  Governor  commissioned  father 
as  Captain  of  the  E^'irst  Police  Company,  and  on  June  29  as 
Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  regiment.  The  popular  excitement 
soon  died  down,  the  cause  having  been  removed,  and  the  regi- 
ment seems  to  have  been  disbanded ;  for,  on  October  4,  father 
was  commissioned  Captain  of  the  Eleventh  Volunteer  Com- 
pany of  the  City  of  Providence. 

But  a  number  of  the  men  who  had  volunteered  in  the  emer- 
gency, among  them  many  citizens  of  wealth  and  high  social 
standing,*  decided  to  form  a  permanent  company  of  light 
dragoons,  being  "  deeply  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  such 
an  addition  to  the  present  militia  of  the  State." 

In  the  October  session  of  1842,  the  General  Assembly 
granted  a  charter,  whereby  "  Almon  D.  Hodges,  George  W. 
Hallet   [afterwards  Colonel],  Samuel  G.  Arnold  [afterwards 

*  Robert  H.  Ives,  of  the  firm  of  Brown  &  Ives,  died  in  Providence  this 
evening.  He  was  a  very  excellent  citizen  and  his  death  is  deeply  deplored 
by  his  fellow  townsmen.  Mr.  Ives  and  his  brother,  Moses  B.  Ives,  were 
among  the  most  active  members  of  the  Providence  Horse  Guards  when  I 
commanded  the  company,  1842  to  1845.  They,  with  John  Carter  Brown 
and  Alexander  Duncan  raised  the  company  in  1842.  [Journal  of  A.  D.  H., 
July  6,  1S75.] 

The  four  gentlemen  here  named,  although  among  the  most  influential 
men  in  the  city,  joined  the  company  as  privates. 


MILITARY    SERVICE   IN   RHODE   ISLAND.       173 

Lieutenant-Governor  and  U.  S.  Senator],  William  W.  Hop- 
pin  [afterwards  Mayor  and  Governor],  John  Giles,  Moses  B. 
Ives,  John  A.  Wadsworth  and  Thomas  J.  Stead  [afterwards 
General],  together  with  such  others  as  now  are  or  may  here- 
after be  associated  with  them,  not  exceeding  the  number  of 
Two  Hundred  exclusive  of  officers,  be,  and  they  are  hereby 
declared  to  be,  a  military  company  in  the  [blank]  Brigade  of 
Rhode-Island  Militia,  by  the  name  of  the  '  Providence  Horse 
Guards.^  "  And  what  was  in  its  day  the  crack  militia  com- 
pany of  Rhode  Island,  came  into  being. 
The  original  officers  were  :  — 

Cajjtain  :  —  Almon  D.  Hodges. 

Lieutenants  :  —  1st,  George  W.  Hallet ;  2d,  Samuel  G.  Arnold  ; 
3d,  William  W.  Hoppin  ;  4th,  John  Giles. 

John  A.  Wadsworth,  Adjutant. 

/Surgeon  :  —  George  Fabyan. 

Sergeants  : — 1st,  Henry  L.  Kendall ;  2d,  John  T.  Pitman;  3d, 
Amory  Chapiu  ;  4th,  Allen  Baker. 

Corporals : —  1st,  Thomas  L.  Dunnell ;  2d,  William  B.  Whi{)ple; 
3d,  Edward  C.  Wade  ;  4th,  Orson  Moffit. 

Treasurer :  —  Samuel  G.  Arnold. 

Clerk :  —  John  A.  Wadsworth. 

Standing  Committee :  —  Almon  D.  Hodges,  Alexander  Duncan, 
Amos  D.  Smith,  Allen  Baker. 

An  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State,  in  1843,  gave 
the  Captain  and  the  First,  Second  and  Tliird  Lieutenants 
the  ranks  of  Colonel,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Major  and  Captain 
respectively. 

My  father,  as  Captain  and  as  Colonel,  commanded  the 
squadron  from  its  formation  until  his  resignation  in  1845  (on 
account  of  entering  into  business  in  Boston),  and  took  the 
greatest  delight  in  its  drill,  discipline  and  soldierly  bearing, 
and  in  his  friendships  with  the  members  of  the  company.  He 
always  declared  that  the  honor  of  being  at  the  head  of  such 
a  fine  body  was  sufficient  glory  for  him  and  refused  to  accept 


174       MILITARY    SERVICE   IN   RHODE   ISLAND. 

further  military  office,*  except  when  his  patriotism  caused 
him,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  to  become  Colonel 
of  the  Roxbury  Horse  Guards.  The  memory  of  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Providence  Horse  Guards  was  ever  an  unalloyed 
pleasure  to  him,  and  among  his  most  cherished  mementos 
were  the  handsome  cavalry  sabre  and  the  beautiful  silver 
pitcher  presented  to  him  by  members  of  the  corps,  and  by  him 
bequeathed  to  one  of  his  sons. 

The  one  important  and  exciting  event  during  his  military 
service  in  Rhode  Island,  was  the  outbreak  in  1842  known 
commonly  as  the  Dorr  War.  The  following  account  of  this 
trouble  he  prepared  and  read  before  the  New  England  His- 
toric Genealogical  Society  in  1869. 

*0n  August  7,  1847,  he  was  unanimously  elected  Brigadier  General  of 
the  First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Massachusetts  Militia,  and  on  August 
17,  1850,  he  was  unanimously  elected  Colonel  of  the  Suffolk  Light  In- 
fantry Regiment;  but  in  both  cases  he  felt  compelled  to  decline.  How- 
ever, in  1847  and  1848  he  drilled  with  great  enjoyment  a  cavalry  club  in 
Boston,  whose  headquarters  were  at  the  "riding  house"  of  Nelson  E. 
Nims,  36  Hanover  Street,  refusing  to  accept  any  other  title  than  that  of 
Instructor.  Moses  Blake  Williams,  son  of  Moses  Williams,  was  one  of 
the  leading  members  of  this  club. 


THE   DORR    WAR. 


•T  is  now  twenty-seven  years  since  the  occurrence 
of  the  stormy  and  stirring  events  which  I  propose 
to  relate  —  a  sufficient  time  for  political  feelings 
and  passions  to  become  cool,  and  errors  in  judg- 
ment to  get  corrected.  I  have  tried  to  avoid  all  speech  hav- 
ing a  partisan  bearing,  and  shall  endeavor  to  give  a  fair  and 
faithful  account  of  the  scenes  of  that  period.  In  recording 
these  occurrences,  I  have  derived  assistance  from  the  files 
of  the  Providence  Journal,  then  ably  edited  by  Henry  B. 
Anthony,  afterwards  U.  S.  Senator,  and  from  a  pamphlet 
published  at  that  time  by  Jacob  Frieze. 

I  believe  that  I  am  strictly  correct  in  saying  that,  up  to  the 
time  in  question,  neither  the  Wliig  nor  the  Democratic  party 
in  the  State,  when  in  power,  dared  to  propose  extension  of 
the  suffrage,  from  fear  of  losing  office. 

Dorr  called  himself  a  Democrat,  and  sought  aid  in  his  plans 
from  that  party.  It  is  therefore  proper  to  say  that  the  lead- 
ing men  of  the  Democratic  party  in  Rhode  Island  were  among 
the  most  uncompromising  "  Law  and  Order "  men  in  the 
State,  and  that  the  Dorr  faction  hated  them  even  worse  than 
they  hated  the  Whigs. 

*  This  paper  entitled  "  Recollections  of  the  Rebellion  in  Rhode  Island 
in  1842,  known  from  the  name  of  the  principal  actor  as  The  Dorr  War," 
was  read  by  Almon  D.  Hodges  before  the  New  England  Historic  Genea- 
logical Society  in  Boston,  May  5,  Sept.  1  and  Oct.  6,  1869. 

(  1T5  ) 


176  THE   DORR   WAR. 

It  is  also  fair  to  state  that  a  large  number  of  the  Suffrage 
Party  in  1841  and  1842  denounced  the  violent  proceedings 
of  Dorr,  and  endeavored  to  dissuade  liini  and  others  from 
their  extreme  measures. 


Thomas  Wilson  Dorr,  the  instigator  of  the  rebellion,  was 
son  of  Sullivan  Dorr,  who  went  from  Roxbury,  Massachusetts, 
to  Providence  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last  or  the  beginning 
of  the  present  century,  and  who  married  Lydia  Allen,  a  beau- 
tiful and  accomplished  woman  belonging  to  one  of  the  first 
families  of  Providence. 

Thomas  Dorr  was  a  man  of  marked  peculiarities.  He  was 
at  this  time  about  36  years  of  age,  had  been  educated  at 
Harvard  College,  and  possessed  great  abilities  in  many  direc- 
tions. I  knew  him  well.  He  could  be  most  agreeable  and 
genial  socially,  and  was  endowed  with  a  happy  faculty  of 
Ijending  the  minds  of  those  around  liim  to  his  own  views. 
Had  he  acted  judiciously,  with  the  judgment  and  tact  of  other 
politicians  and  public  men,  he  would  have  reached,  I  believe, 
the  liighest  offices  in  the  State.  He  was  a  very  warm  friend 
so  long  as  his  opinions  were  accepted ;  but  opposition  he  would 
not  endure,  being  exceedingly  self-willed  and  headstrong. 
He  was  very  persistent  in  his  ideas  and  efforts,  and  on  the 
subject  of  the  method  of  changing  the  form  of  government 
he  was  considered  insane  by  many. 

The  men  originally  in  the  movement  for  the  extension  of 
the  suffrage  were  very  unwilling  to  admit  him  to  a  share  in 
their  councils.  They  said  that  he  belonged  to  an  aristocratic 
family  and  hence  could  have  no  genuine  sympathy  with  them 
in  their  desires.  Moreover  they  had  no  confidence  in  his 
tact  and  discretion.  But  Dorr  by  persistence  worked  him- 
self into  a  position  in  the  party  where  his  ability  enabled  him 
to  seize  and  hold  the  leadership. 

Until  1842,  the  original  charter  granted  in  1663  by  King 
Charles  II  to  the  colony  remained  in  force  in  Rhode  Island, 


THOMAS  WILSON    DORR. 


THE   DORR   WAR.  177 

and  the  right  to  vote  was  allowed  only  to  "  freeholders,"  or 
owners  of  real  estate  of  the  value  of  $134,  and  their  eldest 
sons.  This  limitation  of  the  suffrage  seemed  to  be  satisfac- 
tory during  a  long  period  when  almost  every  man  was  a  free- 
holder; but  when  the  number  of  non-voters  became  large, 
the  subject  of  extending  the  suffrage  was  agitated.  At  first 
all  that  was  asked  was  a  rule  as  liberal  as  that  in  Massachu- 
setts, and  this  modest  demand  was  favored  by  many  of  the 
freeholders.  The  extension-of-suffrage  party  grew  rapidly 
in  numbers,  especially  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  where 
many  of  those  already  entitled  to  vote  admitted  that  the 
time  had  come  for  a  change,  and  were  prepared  to  join  with 
the  non-freeholders  in  petitioning  the  State  legislature  (tech- 
nically styled  The  General  Assembly)  for  a  change  in  the 
constitution. 

The  new  party,  as  it  increased,  split  into  two  factions  — 
one  conservative,  the  other  radical.  The  radical  wing  was  not 
fortunate  in  its  leaders,  who  were  good  people  in  their  way, 
but  not  well  gifted  with  wisdom  and  reasonableness. 

About  1833,  or  immediately  after  the  Presidential  election 
of  1832,  the  ultra  free-suffrage  party  became  very  active  and 
bitter,  and  very  loud  in  their  claims  for  office.  Meetings  were 
held  in  Providence  in  the  old  town  hall,  and  were  addressed 
generally  by  mechanics  and  other  working-men,  who  often 
displayed  considerable  oratorical  ability.  The  speeches,  how- 
ever, almost  always  contained  excited  attacks  upon  the  "aris- 
tocrats," "landholders,"  and  "  ruffied-shirt  gentry"  of  the 
opposition,  and  gross  epithets  were  applied  to  men  of  the 
best  reputation  who  were  not  in  sympathy  with  the  radical 
movement.  In  illustration  of  their  ideas,  the  officers  and 
speech-makers  of  the  meetings  appeared  on  the  platform 
dressed  in  green  baize  jackets  ;  and  the  members  of  a  "  Com- 
mittee of  Correspondence  "  signed  an  address  to  John  Quincy 
Adams,  then  in  Washington,  and  Francis  Baylies  of  Taunton, 
as  follows  :  — 


178  THE   DORR   WAR. 

Seth  Luther,  "house  carpenter";  William  J.  Tilliughast, 
"  barber  "  ;  Lawrence  Richard,  "  blacksmith  "  ;  William  Mitch- 
ell, "shoemaker";  David  Brown,  "time  regulator";  and,  if 
I  recollect  aright,  Nat.  Metcalf,  "  town  crier." 

The  extreme  ideas  advanced  by  the  radical  wing  of  the 
party  caused  such  a  diminution  of  the  ranks  of  those  seeking 
an  extension  of  the  suffrage,  that  the  movement  sank  into 
insignificance  and  was  entirely  overshadowed  by  the  subject 
of  national  politics,  the  National  Bank  question,  and  the  mon- 
etary crisis  of  the  country. 

In  the  spring  of  1840  the  suffrage  question  again  came 
to  the  front.  A  suffrage  association  was  formed,  the  non- 
freeholders  were  called  on  again  to  unite  in  pushing  the  mat- 
ter, and  the  "  landholders  "  were  appealed  to  for  a  favorable 
consideration  of  the  extension  of  the  right  to  vote  and  for  a 
change  in  the  unequal  representation  of  the  different  towns 
in  the  State  legislature.*  About  this  time  Dorr  acquired  a 
prominent  position  in  the  movement  and  forced  his  ideas  upon 
the  party  which,  as  before  mentioned,  had  i^reviously  been 
opposed  to  admitting  him  to  its  councils. 

The  movement  gained  such  an  impetus  that  the  next  year 
(1841)  the  freeholders  felt  it  was  imperative  to  make  some 
concessions.  In  the  January  session  of  the  General  Assembly 
a  petition  was  presented  from  the  town  of  Smithfield  asking 
for  an  increase  of  her  representation,  and  the  discussion  of 
the  petition  brought  up  the  whole  suffrage  question.  The 
matter  was  postponed  until  the  June  session,  when  the  pres- 
sure became  so  great  that  the  General  Assembly,  as  by  law 
provided,  voted  to  call  a  popular  convention  to  amend  the 
charter  or  frame  a  new  constitution  —  the  election  of  delegates 
to  be  held  on  August  31,  and  the  convention  to  assemble  on 
November  2. 

*  For  example,  Newport  with  a  population  of  about  10,000  had  five 
representatives,  while  Pi'ovidence  with  over  30,000  inhabitants  had  only 
four. 


THE   DORR    WAR.  179 

But  the  ultra  suffrage  party  was  not  content  to  wait  for 
the  legal  action  of  the  General  Assembly.  Early  this  same 
year  a  mass  meeting  was  held  in  Newport  and  adjourned  to 
meet  in  the  same  town  in  Ma}^  when  a  "  State  Committee  " 
was  appointed,  with  directions  to  call  a  convention  which 
should  form  what  they  were  pleased  to  designate  a  "  People's 
Constitution."  On  the  5th  of  July  another  mass  meeting  was 
held  in  Providence,  which  instructed  the  State  Committee  to 
call  the  People's  Convention  forthwith ;  and  the  committee 
called  the  convention  at  the  date  of  November  16. 

Thus  it  happened  that  two  conventions  were  held  the 
same  month,  —  one  authorized  by  the  General  Assembly  in 
accordance  with  the  law  of  the  State ;  the  other  formed  in  a 
completely  extra-legal  manner  and  by  utterly  irresponsible 
persons. 

The  elections  ordered  by  the  General  Assembly  were  duly 
held,  and  the  delegates  chosen  convened  on  November  2  and 
after  some  discussion  adjourned  until  February  14,  1842,  in 
order,  as  they  declared,  that  they  might  ascertain  the  wishes 
of  their  constituents. 

The  elections  ordered  by  the  People's  Committee  were  also 
held,  but  in  a  peculiar  manner.  Clubs  were  formed  through- 
out the  State,  and  these  clubs,  to  whose  membership  women 
and  minors  were  admitted,  chose  the  delegates.  The  People's 
Convention,  thus  selected,  assembled  on  November  16  and 
framed  a  constitution  which  was  submitted  to  "  the  people  " 
at  an  election  that  began  on  December  27,  and  was  conducted 
under  the  auspices  of  the  clubs  in  a  most  irregular  manner, 
without  any  check-lists  or  any  other  of  the  customary  safe- 
guards. Many  persons  affirmed  afterwards  that  they  had  cast 
their  ballots  a  dozen  times  each  without  any  objection  on  the 
part  of  the  election  officers  —  a  proceeding  possibly  explained 
by  the  fact  that  hardly  any  of  the  legal  voters  participated  in 
the  election.  The  People's  Committee  counted  the  votes, 
declared  that  the   proposed    constitution  had  been  adopted. 


180  THE   DORR   WAR. 

and  that  a  whole  new  set  of  State  officers,  civil  and  military, 
had  been  chosen,  and  proclaimed  Thomas  W.  Dorr  as  the 
Governor-elect  of  Rhode  Island. 

The  legal  or  "  landholders  convention "  reassembled  in 
February,  1842,  and  formed  a  new  constitution  which  was 
much  more  liberal  in  its  provisions  than  the  old  charter.  The 
land-qualilication  was  retained,  but  with  this  limitation  the 
elective  franchise  was  granted  to  all  native-born  males,  with- 
out distinction  of  color,  21  years  of  age,  and  resident  two 
years  in  the  State  and  six  months  in  the  place  where  they 
claimed  a  vote.  The  word  ivliite  did  not  appear  in  this  con- 
stitution, but  had  been  adopted  in  the  so-called  people's 
constitution. 

It  was  hoped  that  this  concession  on  the  part  of  the  free- 
holders would  conciliate  the  opposition  party  and  put  an  end 
to  the  excitement  which  was  fast  becoming  intense.  It  did 
satisfy  a  very  large  number  of  the  original  suffrage  party,  but 
the  extreme  wing  was  not  to  be  pacified,  and  Dorr  himself 
avowed  that  he  would  receive  nothing  at  the  hands  of  tlie 
landholders'  convention,  —  that  he  would  not  accept  their 
constitution  even  if  it  agreed  word  for  word  with  his  own. 

The  landholders'  constitution  was  voted  on  by  the  people 
in  March,  1842,  but  the  opposition  of  freeholders  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  State,  and  of  the  radical  Dorr  part}^ 
or  "  Dorrites,"  was  strong  enough  to  defeat  it  by  a  small 
majority. 

The  great  mass  of  the  freeholders,  including  many  of  those 
who  had  voted  in  the  negative,  soon  discovered  that  a  mistake 
had  been  made  in  rejecting  the  jDroposed  constitution,  and  de- 
clared steps  should  be  taken  as  soon  as  possible  to  form  and 
offer  to  the  people  another  constitution.  The  Dorrites,  en- 
couraged by  the  position  of  affairs,  began  to  adopt  extreme 
measures,  and  at  their  meetings  some  of  the  speakers  openly 
proposed  to  appeal  to  arms,  and  were  loudly  applauded  by 
their  audiences. 


THE   DORR   WAR.  181 

The  agitation  became  verj^  great  and  the  i-)osition  of  Dorr  was 
apparently  supported  very  widely.  Even  among  the  best  of  the 
militia  companies  there  were  partisans  of  Dorr  who  expressed 
themselves  in  favor  of  forcible  measures  for  placing  him  in  the 
gubernatorial  chair,  and  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  expel  them 
from  the  militia  on  this  account.  For  a  time  neither  party  be- 
lieved that  the  other  would  actually  fight,  but  finally  the  opin- 
ion gained  general  credence  that  Dorr  would  certainly  use  force, 
and  many  of  his  supporters  then  abandoned  his  cause  and  sided 
with  the  Law  and  Order  party. 

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  People's  Constitu 
tion,  the  State  officers  claiming  election  under  tliis  instrument, 
with  Dorr  at  their  head,  assembled  in  Providence  on  the  3rd 
day  of  May,  1842,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  State  gov- 
ernment. The  State  House  having  been  refused  them,  they 
met  in  an  unfinished  building  designed  for  a  foundry,  which 
circumstance  gave  rise  to  the  name  of  "  the  Foundry  Legis- 
lature "  afterwards  applied  to  them.  In  proceeding  to  the 
place  of  meeting,  they  were  accompanied  by  a  military  guard 
provided  with  muskets  loaded  with  ball-cartridges;  and  armed 
guards  surrounded  their  legislature  when  in  session,  and  at 
other  times  protected  Dorr's  headquarters.  But  no  disturl> 
ance  of  the  peace  occurred  on  this  day,  and  the  proposition  of 
Dorr  to  take  forcible  possession  of  the  State  House  was  voted 
down  by  his  legislature,  which  showed  a  want  of  confidence 
in  their  position  and  their  leader.  In  fact  many  members 
of  this  new  government  resigned  their  offices  and  publicly 
announced  their  resignations  in  the  newspapers. 

On  the  4th  of  May  the  General  Assembly  convened  accord- 
ing to  law  at  Newport,  organized  the  legal  government,  and 
at  once  proceeded  to  the  consideration  of  political  affairs. 
All  hope  of  conciliation  was  abandoned  and  more  forcible 
measures  were  decided  on.  Arrests  of  the  men  most  promi- 
nent in  the  Dorr  movement  began  to  be  made  by  the  govern- 
ment.     These    arrests    caused    great   excitement,   and    large 


182  THE   DORR   WAR. 

crowds  attended  the  legal  examinations  of  the  arrested  par- 
ties, but  no  attempt  at  a  rescue  was  make  except  in  the  single 
case  of  Hezekiah  Willard,  and  this  attempt  was  stopped  by 
Willard  himself.  As  Dorr  was  constantly  surrounded  by  an 
armed  force,  the  authorities  decided  that  it  would  be  injudici- 
ous to  try  to  capture  him,  and  he  remained  unmolested. 

The  President  of  the  United  States,  John  Tyler,  was  re- 
quested by  the  State  Government  to  furnish  federal  troops 
for  suppressing  \Adiat  was  considered  t6  be  a  genuine  insurrec- 
tion, but  declined  to  interfere,  greatly  to  the  disappointment 
and  indignation  of  the  Law  and  Order  party. 

The  First  Light  Infantry  of  Providence,  conunanded  by 
Colonel  William  W.  Brown,  the  Cadets,  under  Major  Martin, 
and  the  Marine  Artillery,  under  Colonel  Nightingale,  as  well 
as  the  Newport,  Bristol  and  Warren  companies,  were  ordered 
under  arms  and  actively  drilled.  At  the  earnest  request  of 
the  Quartermaster  General,  Samuel  Ames  (afterwards  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Rhode  Island),  a  brother-in-law  of 
Dorr,  and  hence  supposed  to  be  Avell  acquainted  with  the 
character  of  this  gentleman,  a  strong  guard  was  placed  in 
the  State  Arsenal  on  the  Dexter  Training  Field  —  so  named 
from  Ebenezer  Knight  Dexter,  who  had  donated  to  the  city 
of  Providence  about  twenty  acres  of  land  for  militia  train- 
ings. The  arsenal  contained  a  number  of  pieces  of  ordnance 
ranging  from  12-pounders  to  48-pounders,  and  about  2500 
muskets,  with  the  necessary  ammunition. 

Meanwhile  Dorr,  with  all  the  military  force  which  he  was 
able  to  persuade  to  join  him,  was  preparing  as  well  as  he 
could  for  the  approaching  crisis.  A  deficiency  of  weapons 
was  remedied  as  far  as  possible  by  stealing  guns  and  digging 
up  old  cannon  which  had  done  duty  for  a  long  time,  muzzle 
down,  at  the  corners  of  the  streets.  The  Dorrites  loudly 
asserted  that  the  "  Aristocrats  "  would  not  dare  to  fight,  and 
if  they  did,  that  one  Dorrite  would  be  able  to  whip  five  "  Al- 
gerines."     On  the  other  side,  some  of  the  friends  of  the  legal 


THE   DORR  WAR.  183 

government  expressed  very  mucli  the  same  ideas  in  favor  of 
their  own  party,  and  even  were  inclined  to  ridicule  the  j)re- 
parations  for  actual  hostilities. 

On  Thursday,  May  12,  the  adherents  of  Dorr  fanned  the 
excitement  by  holding  a  meeting  at  the  Court  House  Parade 
in  Providence,  and  making  speeches  breathing  defiance  against 
the  "  Algerine  law  "  passed  at  the  late  session  of  the  legisla- 
ture —  in  virtue  of  which  law  several  of  Dorr's  party  had 
been  arrested  on  the  charge  of  treason.  They  declared  that 
Dorr  should  he  protected  at  all  hazards.  About  this  time 
Dorr  visited  New  York  city,  where  a  meeting  in  liis  favor 
was  held  in  a  certain  ward,  and  he  was  encouraged  to  proceed 
in  his  movement,  and  was  promised  money,  men  and  arms. 
He  returned  to  Providence  on  Monday,  May  16,  and  was 
escorted  by  an  armed  force  through  the  city  from  the  railroad 
station  to  Federal  Hill,  where  he  made  his  headquarters  at 
the  house  of  Burrington  Anthony  —  a  man  who  had  formerly 
been  United  States  Marshal,  and  who  was  a  prominent  ad- 
herent of  Dorr. 

Before  Dorr  dismissed  his  escort,  he  arose  in  his  carriage 
and  made  a  long  and  excited  address,  during  which  he  waved 
in  the  air  what  appeared  to  be  an  ordinary  sword.  He  him- 
self declared,  according  to  the  affirmation  of  his  own  party, 
that  it  was  "  an  ensanguined  blade,  which  should  again  be 
imbued  with  blood,  should  the  people's  cause  require  it." 
The  editor  of  the  Providence  Journal,  after  an  examination, 
reported  thus :  "  jNIr.  Dorr  made  a  great  flourish  last  Monday 
about  his  sword,  which  he  drew  and  brandished  in  a  most 
fearful  manner,  and  told  a  great  story  about  its  having  be- 
longed to  an  officer  who  fell  fighting  for  his  country.  This 
sword  belonged  to  a  Lieutenant  named  Ileill,  who  died  of 
dysentery  on  the  passage  from  St.  Marks  to  Providence,  and 
all  the  blood  that  was  ever  upon  it  would  not  wet  the  point." 

The  first  offensive  movement  was  made  (on  May  17)  by  a 
party  of  Dorrites,  numbering  about  forty,  who  at  midday,  by 


184 


THE  DORR   WAR. 


a  sudden  dash,  took  from  the  armory  of  the  old  Artillery 
Company  two  nine-pound  guns,  and  carried  them  to  Federal 
Hill.  The  armory  was  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  city  at  the 
rear  of  College  Street,  and  was  separated  only  by  a  narrow 
passage  from  the  Cadet  Armory,  where  were  a  number  of 
Cadets  and  some  members  of  the  Marine  Artillery.  These 
wished  to  attack  the  Dorrites,  but  Governor  King  had  departed 
and  there  was  no  one  present  with  authority  to  order  such  an 
act.     Samuel  Dexter  and  Joseph  Sweet,  two  fiery  spirits,  vol- 


Dorr  flvunshmp  6ie  Syford  yihich  he  received  wj.  2few  York    makes  greaX  professions  of  what 
k£  voidd  do 

unteered  to  retake  the  cannon,  if  twenty-five  men  would  aid 
them ;  but  General  Carrington,  one  of  the  Governor's  Coun- 
cil, dissuaded  them,  using  the  argument  that,  legally,  this 
would  be  merely  mob  against  mob  —  and  they  belonged  to 
the  Law  and  Order  party. 

Governor  King,  who  was  about  two  miles  away,  was  sent 
for  and  came  immediately.  He  at  once  ordered  the  militia  of 
Warren,  Bristol  and  Newport  to  report  at  Providence.  The 
excitement  in  the  city  was  at  fever  heat,  and  old  men  and 
young  volunteered  their  services. 


THE   DORR   WAR. 


185 


Our  truckman,  Abel  Oakes,  who  had  been  one  of  Dorr's 
principal  supporters  up  to  this  time,  came  to  our  firm  (Stim- 
son  &  Hodges)  and  said  that  he  would  act  with  Dorr  no 
longer.  He  stated  that  he  hnew  Dorr  would  attack  the  State 
Arsenal  that  night  if  his  men  would  stand  by  him,  and  if  suc- 
cessful, would  seize  the  public  property  in  Providence,  take 
the  College  buildings  for  barracks  —  and  what  further  Dorr 
intended    to  do,  the  Lord  only  knew  I      The  man  was  very 


Tapper  room,  ef  the  Arsenal,  on  Ouiaghtof  Gvt  iT-r  cf  Moj^, 

much  excited  and  left  the  city  immediately,  advising  us  to  do 
the  same.     His  advice  was  not  followed. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  we  were  informed  by  Gen- 
eral Ames  and  by  Mr.  Zachariah  Allen  —  the  latter  an  uncle 
of  Dorr  —  that  they  fully  believed  the  arsenal  would  be  at- 
tacked that  night ;  and  about  sunset  this  information  was 
corroborated  by  spies  returning  from  Dorr's  camp,  who  stated 
definitely  that  the  attack  would  be  made  at  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning  of  the  next  day.  May  18.  Consequently  the 
Cadets  and  the  INIarine  Artillery  were  ordered  to  the  arsenal, 
and  marched  thither  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening ;  and  the 


186  THE  DORR    WAR. 

First  Light  Infantry,  under  Colonel  William  W.  Brown,  was 
held  under  arms  as  a  reserve  at  its  armory  on  the  east  side  of 
the  city. 

Dorr's  intentions  being  known,  his  father,  uncles  and  other 
relatives  and  friends  visited  him  and  remained  with  him  until 
nearly  midnight,  endeavoring  to  dissuade  liim  from  such  a 
rash  and  foolhardy  undertaking.  Their  arguments  were  of 
no  avail,  and  he  persisted  in  his  determination.  About  a 
hundred  men  from  Pawtucket  joined  liim  during  the  evening, 
and  at  midnight  he  had  an  army  of  three  hundred  to  four 
hundred  men.  But  it  was  a  motley  crowd,  unorganized  and 
undisciplined,  as  reported  by  an  eye-witness  and  proved  by 
subsequent  events. 

Soon  after  midnight  Dorr  drew  up  his  forces  in  line  and 
made  them  a  speech.  He  said  that  the  persons  opposed  to 
him  were  cowards  and  would  not  fight,  and  that  the  arsenal 
would  be  captured  easily ;  that  the  taking  of  the  arsenal,  with 
its  stores  and  arms  so  necessar}^  for  his  plans,  was  the  first 
step ;  and  that  he  had  staked  everything  on  this  issue.  At 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  May  18,  he  ordered  the  guns 
at  his  headquarters  to  be  fired,  as  the  signal  for  his  army  to 
move  to  the  attack.  Tins  order  illustrated  his  military  inca- 
pacity, since  the  signal  for  his  men  to  move  was  also  a  warn- 
ing to  his  foes  of  liis  action.  At  the  discharge  of  the  cannon, 
the  alarm  bells  of  the  city  were  rung,  and  the  men  of  the 
town  joined  the  ranks  of  the  military,  while  the  wives  and 
children  awaited  in  terror  the  outcome  of  the  impending  com- 
bat. Few  were  the  citizens  of  Providence  who  slept  that 
night.  The  expectation  of  streets  deluged  in  blood  and  a 
city  wrapped  in  flames  was  almost  universal. 

At  the  signal,  Dorr  commenced  his  march,  but  instead  of 
going  directly  to  the  point  of  attack,  not  over  half  a  mile  from 
his  headquarters,  he  took  a  round-about  way  through  Olney- 
ville,  making  the  distance  passed  over  some  two  and  a  half 
miles.     His  reasons  for  tliis  are  unknown,  unless  it  was,  as 


THE   DORR   WAR. 


187 


has  been  suggested,  for  the  purpose  of  marching  his  army 
sober.  It  was  stated  by  one  of  his  men  that  when  the  posi- 
tion of  attack  was  taken,  Dorr  discovered  that  out  of  the 
three  hundred  or  four  hundred  men  who  had  started,  only 
about  eighty  were  left  to  stand  by  him.  Probably  more  than 
thi-ee-fourths  had  concluded  that  it  was  safer  to  fall  out  of 
tlie  ranks  and  disappear  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  than  to 
follow  their  leader.  Captain  Despeau  of  Pawtucket  said 
to  Dorr  just  before  the  order  to  fire  on  the  arsenal  was  given, 


The,  aUempt  on  ihc  Arsenal  an,  the  night  ffMay  f7^ 

"  Governor,  I  believe  there  is  danger  here."  "  Thunder  I  " 
replied  Dorr,  "  what  do  you  suppose  we  came  here  for  but  to 
face  danger?"  Whereupon  Captain  D.  and  his  company 
started  for  home,  "  causing  the  old  turnpike  to  tremble,"  as 
one  of  them  afterwards  said,  "  and  making  the  quickest  time 
ever  known  between  Providence  and  Pawtucket." 

At  two  o'clock  Dorr  reached  the  western  border  of  the 
Dexter  Training  Field,  and  here  he  halted  his  force,  placing 
his  two  nine-pounder  guns,  double-shotted,  in  the  centre  of  a 
grove  of  trees  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  arsenal,  and 


188  THE   DORR   WAR. 

tniining  them  upon  this  building.  Having  carefully  sighted 
them  himself,  he  gave  the  order,  "  Cannoneers  !  Ready !  ! 
Fire  ! ! !  " 

The  cannoneers  applied  their  matches  and  both  guns  — 
flashed. 

Dorr  ordered  another  priming,  seized  the  match  himself, 
and  with  a  regular  cannoneer's  flourish  brought  down  the 
portfire  upon  the  guns  —  and  there  was  another  flash. 

In  the  evidence  before  a  court  of  inquiry  —  which  I  heard 
afterwards  —  one  of  the  witnesses  testified  that,  being  deter- 
mined to  prevent  firing  on  the  arsenal,  by  a  little  management 
lie  obtained  the  post  of  sentinel  over  the  cannon  before  they 
were  moved  from  Federal  Hill,  and  plugged  the  ventages  of 
the  guns  with  wood,  rubbing  priming  powder  over  the  plugs 
to  prevent  discovery. 

It  is  supposed  that  Dorr  now  suspected  or  believed  that 
there  was  treachery  in  his  camp.  He  abandoned  further  at- 
tempts to  fire  the  cannon,  and  sent  a  flag  of  truce  with  a 
squad  of  men  under  the  command  of  a  Colonel  Wheeler,  who, 
in  the  name  of  Governor  Dorr,  demanded  the  surrender  of 
the  arsenal.  Colonel  Leonard  Blodget,  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  building,  replied  that  "  If  Dorr  wanted  the  arsenal,  he  had 
better  come  on  with  his  ragamuflins  and  take  it." 

Dorr,  finding  his  case  hopeless,  retreated  with  his  two  can- 
non and  about  thirty  men  —  to  which  number  liis  force  was 
now  reduced  —  and  returned  to  Burrington  Anthony's  house 
on  Federal  Hill. 

The  commanding  officer  at  the  arsenal  had  received  posi- 
tive orders  not  to  fire  on  the  insurgents  until  he  saw  the 
flash  of  their  cannon.  He  had  made  every  preparation  for 
defence,  and  having  been  informed  by  a  spy  of  the  exact  point 
selected  by  Dorr  for  placing  his  battery,  had  trained  the 
whole  tier  of  his  guns  upon  the  grove.  When  Dorr's  cannon 
flashed,  the  State  troops  were  anxious  to  fire,  but  were  re- 
strained by  Colonel   Blodget,  who  interjDreted  his  orders  as 


THE   DORR   WAR.  189 


oo  ex- 


meaning  a  flash  at  the  muzzle  and  not  at  the  hreecJi.  S 
cited  had  the  men  become,  that  it  was  difficult  to  prevent 
them  from  firing.  One  of  the  cannoneers,  Bill  Cameron  by 
name,  —  an  old  privateersman,  who  had  served  on  a  vessel 

in  the  war  of  1812,  and  had  rather  fight  than  saw  wood, 

was  in  command  of  a  48-pounder.  He  had  been  grossly 
insulted  by  some  of  the  Dorrites  and  was  burning  for  revenge. 
When  he  found  that  Dorr  had  retreated,  and  that  he  had  lost 
the  chance  to  fire  on  his  foes,  he  sat  down  and  cried  like 
a  child. 

The  writer  was  with  the  First  Light  Infantry,  which,  as 
before  stated,  was  held  in  reserve  at  its  armory  under  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Brown.  At  about  half-past  two  in  the  morn- 
ing the  company  was  ordered  to  march  at  once  to  the  arsenal. 
Dorr's  father  was  at  the  armory  —  and  it  should  be  stated 
that  a  brother  and  two  uncles  of  Dorr  were  with  the  State 
troops  in  the  arsenal  —  and  asked  permission  to  march  in  the 
ranks;  but  Colonel  Brown  requested  him  to  remain  as  a 
guard  at  the  armory. 

Colonel  Brown  immediately  obeyed  the  order  to  march. 
The  movement  was  made  as  silently  as  possible,  for  it  was 
known  that  Dorr  was  aware  of  the  arrangement  of  the  reserve, 
and  it  was  supposed  that  he  had  made  provision  to  intercept 
the  company  if  it  should  attempt  to  go  to  the  arsenal.  But 
the  Light  Infantry  was  not  molested.  It  marched  on  quietly 
with  a  steady  tramp,  ti-amp,  tramp,  no  voice  being  heard  ex- 
cept that  of  the  commanding  officer  as  he  gave  an  occasional 
order  in  a  low  tone.  When  within  about  three  hundred  yards 
of  his  destination.  Colonel  Brown  halted  his  men.  At  this 
moment  a  messenger  reached  him  with  the  information  that 
he  believed  the  insurgents  had  surrounded  the  arsenal,  and 
that  it  would  be  necessary  to  force  the  way  through  their 
lines. 

The  news  caused  a  deep  sensation  in  the  ranks.  The  men 
had  been  highly  wrought  up  by  the  events  of  the  preceding 


190  THE   DORR   WAR. 

days.  They  had  been  sneered  at  by  the  other  side,  called 
"  cologne-water  dandies  "  and  "  holiday  soldiers  "  who  would 
run  when  the  time  for  fighting  really  came  ;  and  now  it  ap- 
peared certain  that  a  fight  would  at  once  take  place  in  the 
darkness  of  a  foggy  night.  It  is  an  established  fact,  I  think, 
that  the  real  trial  of  courage  for  a  soldier  comes  just  before 
going  into  action.  The  militia  stood  this  test  well.  Not  a 
man  flinched ;  and  at  the  order,  "  Column  forward  !  guide 
left !  march  !  "  the  company  moved  as  a  unit.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments the  arsenal  was  reached,  and  it  was  discovered  that 
Dorr  had  retreated  —  that  in  the  darkness  the  advance  of  the 
platoon  accompanying  Colonel  Wheeler,  when  he  demanded 
the  surrender  of  the  arsenal,  had  been  mistaken  for  an  ad- 
vance of  the  whole  insurgent  force. 

A  guard  was  left  at  the  arsenal,  and  the  government  troops 
marched  back  to  the  city. 

Dorr,  after  returning  to  Federal  Hill,  appeared  very  much 
disappointed  and  discouraged.  It  was  evident  that  the  whole 
power  of  the  State  was  arrayed  against  liim,  and  equally  evi- 
dent that  his  own  force  would  not  stand  by  him.  It  has  been 
charged  that  he  would  not  stand  by  them,  and  he  has  been 
called  a  coward ;  but  from  an  acquaintance  with  him  lasting 
a  number  of  years,  I  consider  this  accusation  unfounded. 

On  Wednesday  morning  one  of  his  relatives  met  him  and 
offered  him  the  means  of  escape,  which  he  accepted.  He  left 
on  the  hill  some  thirty  desperate  men  under  the  command  of 
General  De  Wolf  of  Massachusetts.  This  officer  was  said  to 
have  been  a  recent  graduate  of  one  of  the  Massachusetts 
public  institutions,  but  his  exact  career  before  and  after  this 
episode  is  unknown  to  me.  His  troops  threw  up  breastworks 
on  the  hill  and  prepared  to  defend  the  position. 

At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  Providence  companies, 
reinforced  by  the  three  artillery  companies  from  Newport, 
Bristol  and  Warren,  —  a  total  of  about  600  muskets  with  a 
battery  of  six  field  pieces  —  started  for  Federal  Hill.     While 


THE   DORR   WAR.  191 

they  were  on  their  way,  news  was  received  by  the  Governor 
that  Dorr  had  fled,  and  a  company  of  volunteer  dragoons  — 
the  nucleus  of  a  squadron  of  horse  afterwards  known  as  the 
Providence  Horse  Guards  —  was  ordered  in  pursuit.  The 
cavalry  moved  on  a  brisk  gallop  about  twenty  miles  towards 
the  Norwich  and  Worcester  railroad  and  then,  having  failed 
to  find  Dorr,  abandoned  the  chase.  Meantime  the  infantry 
and  artillery  reached  Federal  Hill,  where  a  parley  was  held. 
The  besieged  agreed  to  retire  and  leave  the  cannon  which 
they  had  seized.  This  they  did  the  next  day  (Thursday, 
May  19),  and  disappeared. 

After  the  flight  of  Dorr,  it  was  reported  among  his  family 
connections  that  he  had  entirely  relinquished  his  designs 
against  the  State  government  and  was  about  to  go  to  Europe. 
One  of  his  wealthy  aunts,  it  was  said,  had  offered  to  give 
him  five  thousand  dollars  if  he  would  leave  the  country  and 
remain  away  a  specified  time.  Many  believed  the  story ; 
some,  who  knew  him  best,  doubted ;  but  all,  except  a  few  of 
degraded  character  who  favored  liis  hostile  projects,  joined 
in  wishing  him  a  speedy  departure,  a  quick  passage,  and  a 
long  visit. 

But  if  Dorr  had  ever  intended  to  retire  to  a  foreign  land, 
he  soon  abandoned  the  idea,  and,  in  connection  with  reckless 
men  inside  and  outside  of  the  State,  commenced  operations 
for  carrying  out  again  his  contemplated  revolution.  He  was 
heard  of  occasionally  in  Connecticut  or  New  York,  being  ap- 
parently always  on  the  move,  but  observing  a  certain  amount 
of  secrecy.  Meetings  in  his  favor  were  held  in  some  of  the 
large  cities  in  neighboring  States,  these  meetings  being  at- 
tended as  a  rule  by  the  class  of  men  known  as  roughs,  who 
bitterly  denounced  the  landholders  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
sought  to  gain  the  support  of  the  public  by  asserting  that 
Dorr  was  contending  only  for  the  extension  of  the  suffrage. 
Certain  newspapers  in  New  York,  Boston  and  Philadelphia 
became  warm  advocates  of  the  fugitive.     The  man  in  New 


192  THE    DORR   WAR. 

York  city  who  appeared  to  be  Dorr's  chief  confidant  was 
INIike  Walsh,  and  the  headquarters  of  the  party  were  appar- 
ently at  Hopkins'  Pewter  Mug,  near  the  Five  Points. 

Governor  King  of  Rhode  Island,  being  informed  that  Dorr 
had  gone  to  Connecticut  and  placed  himself  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Governor  of  that  State,  made  a  requisition  on 
Governor  Cleaveland  for  Dorr's  delivery  to  the  authorities  of 
Rhode  Island  as  a  fugitive  from  justice,  but  the  demand  was 
not  complied  with.  Thereupon  Governor  King  issued  the 
following 

PROCLAMATION 

By  his  Excellency 

Samuel  Ward  King, 
Governor,  Captain-General  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  State 

of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations. 

Whereas  Thomas  Wilson  Dorr,  of  Providence  in  the  County 
of  Providence,  charged  with  treason  against  the  said  State  of 
Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations,  is  a  fugitive  from  jus- 
tice and  supposed  to  be  now  within  the  limits  of  our  Sister  State 
of  Connecticut  and  from  creditable  information  is  still  pursuing 
his  nefarious  enterjjrise  against  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  said 
State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations ; 

And  Whereas  I  made  a  requisition  on  the  25*^'  of  May  last, 
addressed  to  his  Excellency,  Chauncy  F.  Cleaveland,  Governor  of 
the  State  of  Connecticut,  for  the  apprehension  and  delivery  of 
the  said  Thomas  Wilson  Dorr,  accoi'ding  to  the  Constitution  and 
law  of  the  United  States  in  such  case  made  and  provided,  which 
requisition  his  Excellency  Chauncy  F.  Cleaveland,  Governor  of  said 
State,  has  hitherto  declined  to  comply  with ; 

I  DO  THEREFORE,  pursuant  to  authority  in  me  vested,  and  by 
advice  of  the  CouncU,  hereby  offer  a  reward  of 

ONE   THOUSAND   DOLLARS 

for  the  delivery  of  the  said  Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  to  the  proper 
civil  authorities  of  this  State  within  one  year  from  the  date  hereof, 
that  he  may  be  dealt  with  as  to  law  and  justice  shall  appertain. 


THE   DORR   WAR.  193 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  of  said  State,  etc.  etc.,  the  S^^ 
day  of  June  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1842,  etc. 

Samuel  Ward  Kixg 
By  his  Excellency's  command 

Henry  Bowen 

Secretary  of  State. 

This  proclamation  did  not  lead  to  the  capture  of  Dorr,  who 
probably  remained  in  New  York,  surrounded  by  his  Spartan 
hand  and  secure  from  arrest. 

Rumors  were  now  rife  that  Dorr  had  secured  large  supplies 
of  arms,  money  and  men  in  New  York  and  elsewhere.  An 
advertisement  appeared  in  a  New  York  city  newspaper,  noti- 
fying the  public  that  a  recruiting  rendezvous  was  opened  at 
Hopkins'  Pewter  Mug,  and  offering  eight  dollars  per  month, 
with  board  and  lodging,  to  volunteers  who  would  go  to  Rhode 
Island  and  assist  Governor  Dorr  to  inaugurate  his  government 
and  place  himself  in  the  gubernatorial  chair. 

In  Rhode  Island,  at  Woonsocket,  Cumberland,  Smithfield 
and  other  places,  especially  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State, 
the  adherents  of  Dorr  were  secretly  organizing,  and  were 
throwing  out  hints  of  what  was  to  come.  From  the  begin- 
ning a  large  part  of  Dorr's  strength  had  been  derived  from 
the  city  and  county  of  Providence,  and  in  certain  places  in 
the  county  the  Law  and  Order  party  had  been  overawed. 
But  the  city  itself  had  proved  too  hot  for  the  Dorrites  on  the 
18th  of  May,  and  their  legislature  had  adjourned  to  the  4th 
of  July.  Dorr,  encouraged  by  the  promises  received  in  New 
York,  made  an  attempt  to  collect  the  members  pursuant  to 
the  adjournment,  but  in  a  place  of  greater  safety  than  the 
city,  and  where  he  could  more  readily  concentrate  his  forces, 
give  his  enemies  more  trouble  to  get  at  him,  and  be  nearer 
to  the  Connecticut  line  as  a  precaution  in  case  a  retreat  should 
be  found  necessary. 

The  friends  of  the  government  could  hardly  believe  that 
another  serious  effort  to  use  force  would   be  made  so  soon 


194  THE   DORR    WAR. 

after  the  complete  defeat  of  ]\Iay  18.  Yet  the  reports  con- 
cerning arms  and  armed  organizations  Avere  so  frequent  as  to 
cause  much  anxiety,  and  it  was  deemed  best  to  adopt  pre- 
cautionary measures.  On  June  4th  the  military  companies 
of  Providence  commenced  a  series  of  regular  drills,  meeting 
every  day  and  evening.  With  the  authorization  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, a  city  regiment  was  formed  consisting  of  the  most  ac- 
tive and  patriotic  citizens,  whose  ages  ranged  from  17  to  72. 
The  regiment  was  composed  of  ten  companies,  numbering  110 
to  140  men  each,  with  officers  regularly  commissioned  by  the 
Governor,  who  appointed  the  following  field  officers :  — 

Colonel:  —  William  W.  Brown  (First  Light  Infantry). 

Lieutenant  Colonel: —  Almon  D.  Hodges. 

Major:  —  Josiah  H.  Martin  (Cadets). 

Adjutant :  —  George  W.  Hallett. 

Chaplain :  —  Francis  Wayland  (President  of  Brown  University). 

iSurgeon :  —  Lewis  L.  Miller,  M.  D. 

The  companies  met  nearly  every  afternoon  and  drilled  for 
an  hour  or  two.  At  six  P.  M.,  they  were  foi-med  in  regimen- 
tal line  for  inspection  of  arms  and  for  a  few  regimental  ma- 
nceuvers,  after  which  came  a  dress  parade.  Then  a  detail  of 
about  twenty  men  was  made  from  each  company,  and  sent  to 
headquarters,  and  placed  under  the  orders  of  a  captain  of 
the  guard,  for  the  purpose  of  patrolling  the  streets  at  night. 
This  duty  was  performed  by  the  regiment  for  more  than  two 
months,  in  which  period  there  was  not  a  single  case  of  fire  or 
burglary. 

During  the  excitement  it  became  necessary  to  raise  large 
sums  of  money,  and  the  wealthy  men  of  the  State  contributed 
with  the  greatest  liberality.  The  writer  was  one  of  the  com- 
mittee who  carried  around  subscription  papers,  and  it  fell  to 
his  lot  to  call  on  a  well  known  physician  (Dr.  Tobey),  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends  and  supposed  to  be 
rich.     When  the  subscription  paper  was  presented,  the  doctor 


THE   DORR   WAR.  195 

asked  in  liis  quaint  way,  "Hodges,  what  does  thee  want 
money  for?  Yea,  what  does  thee  want  money  for?"  "  Well, 
Doctor,  we  want  money  to  buy  muskets,  we  want  money  to 
\my  powder,  we  want  money  to  pay  for  music,  and  we  want 
money  to  buy  oakum  for  wadding  for  our  big  guns."  At  that 
l^eriod,  before  the  times  of  the  prohibitory  liquor  law,  oakum 
for  tvadding  had  a  special  meaning.  "  Oakum  for  wadding 
for  thy  big  guns  ?  "  "  Yes,  Doctor,  oakum."  "  Well,  well," 
replied  the  doctor,  "  I  can  give  thee  no  money  for  thy  mus- 
kets;  I  can  give  thee  no  money  for  thy  powder;  I  can  give 
thee  no  money  for  thy  music ;  for  this  is  against  the  rules  of 
our  meeting.  But  here  is  a  hundred-dollar  bill  for  thee  to 
buy  oakum  for  wadding  for  thy  big  guns." 

About  the  middle  of  the  month  all  doubts  as  to  the  real 
purposes  of  the  Dorrites  were  dispelled.  The  two  guns  of 
the  Providence  Artillery,  wliich  would  not  be  fired  at  the 
arsenal,  had  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Artillery  Company 
at  Warren,  about  nine  miles  from  Providence.  On  the  night 
of  Saturday,  June  18,  a  party  of  about  forty  of  Dorr's  parti- 
sans started  with  four  horses  for  Warren,  with  the  purpose  of 
seizing  the  cannon  and  taking  them  to  Chepachet.  News 
having  been  received  of  the  movement,  an  express  was  sent 
to  give  the  alarm.  The  rebels  had  considerable  of  a  start, 
but  the  night  was  very  dark,  and  they  did  not  know  exactly 
where  the  cannon  were  kept.  They  had  broken  into  two 
places  and  were  endeavoring  to  force  an  entrance  into  a  third, 
when  the  express  arrived  and  gave  the  alarm.  The  guard 
turned  out,  and  in  a  few  moments  all  the  military  of  Warren 
were  under  arms.  Some  of  the  marauders  were  captured  and 
the  rest  ran  away  without  having  accomplished  their  purpose. 

On  the  following  Monday  the  Duty  Greene  powder  maga- 
zine, just  outside  of  Providence,  was  broken  open,  and  about 
fifty  kegs  of  powder  were  stolen. 

It  finally  became  certain  that  Dorr  had  decided  to  concen- 
trate  his   troops  at  Chepachet,  a  large  village  about  fifteen 


196  THE   DORR   WAR. 

miles  from  Providence  and  some  six  miles  from  the  Connecti- 
cut line.  Many  of  the  people  of  this  place  had  appeared  to 
be  in  his  favor,  and  by  the  20th  of  June  active  operations 
were  commenced  at  tliis  point.  Men  with  guns  and  men 
without  guns  began  to  collect  here,  and  earthworks  were 
thrown  up  on  Acote's  Hill,  commanding  the  village  and  the 
road  to  Providence.  The  friends  of  Dorr  who  intended  to 
take  up  arms,  and  others  who  were  afraid  of  being  impressed 
into  the  government  service,  betook  themselves  to  the  insur- 
gents' camp,  where  finally  some  seven  hundred  men  were 
assembled,  perhaps  one-half  being  armed.  Dorr  himself  ap- 
peared there  on  the  morning  of  June  25,  and  immediately 
issued  a  proclamation  for  the  assembling  of  the  members  of 
his  legislature  —  but  they  did  not  come.  Many  of  the  inhabi- 
tants fled  from  the  village,  dreading  the  depredations  of  Dorr's 
troops  more  than  they  feared  the  government  force,  which,  it 
was  reported,  would  soon  attack  the  intrenchments  on  the 
hill.  In  consequence  of  the  character  of  the  assembled  insur- 
gents, it  at  last  became  dangerous  either  to  leave  or  to  approach 
the  place. 

A  fife-major,  who  had  deserted  from  Dorr's  camp,  came  to 
the  headquarters  of  the  City  Guard  regiment  in  Providence, 
and  reported  that  about  five  hundred  men  had  come  to  Che- 
pachet.  According  to  orders,  he  said,  he  as  fifer  would  march 
up  a  company  from  the  tavern  in  the  village  to  Acote's  Hill, 
and  then  return  to  the  tavern  in  order  to  fife  up  another 
squad.  The  company  just  marched  up  would  be  back  at  the 
tavern  in  about  ten  minutes  for  a  "  nij)per  "  all  around,  and 
would  order  him  to  fife  them  back  again,  —  which  he  would 
do.  This  service  he  had  performed  for  the  same  company 
about  ten  times  in  two  hours,  when  they  became  so  wavering 
that  they  could  not  follow  his  music ;  and  then  they  swore 
awfully,  and  threatened  to  shoot  him  for  playing  such  a  d— d 
crooked  tune.  Finally  he  escaped  from  the  camp  by  breaking 
his  fife  over  the  head  of  a  sentinel.     He  stated  that  the  great 


THE   DORR   WAR.  197 

army  expected  from  New  York  had  arrived  that  afternoon, 
but  that  in  place  of  a  regiment  of  a  thousand  men,  as  prom- 
ised, there  were  but  fourteen  all  told,  with  Mike  Walsh  at 
their  head.  Instead  of  marcliing  into  camp  with  flags  flying, 
this  force  had  come  in  close  carriages,  and  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  barroom  at  the  village  tavern.  But  he  had  not 
stopped  to  fife  them  up. 

An  act  which  created  intense  indignation,  was  committed 
by  a  squad  of  insurgents  on  Wednesday  night,  June  22. 
These  men  caught  Charles  J.  Shelly,  Samuel  W.  Peckham, 
John  C.  Keep  and  Charles  F.  Harris,  who  had  been  sent  out 
from  Providence  on  a  scouting  expedition,  charged  them  with 
being  spies  of  the  enemy,  disarmed,  robbed  and  bound  them, 
and  marched  them  twelve  miles  to  Woonsocket.  Mr.  Shelly, 
who  was  in  poor  health,  had  Ms  hands  tied  behind  him,  and 
when  he  appeared  to  lag,  was  driven  forward  by  being  pricked 
in  the  rear  by  a  bayonet.  At  length,  being  completely  ex- 
hausted, he  fell  in  a  faint,  and  then  was  tlirown  into  a  wagon. 
The  officers  into  whose  custody  the  prisoners  were  finally  de- 
livered, disapproved  of  the  treatment  of  the  captives  and 
ordered  their  release ;  but  neither  arms  nor  money  were 
restored. 

A  day  or  two  after  this  occurrence.  Captain  Pond,  a  gov- 
ernment officer  and  a  great  wag,  being  in  this  neighborhood 
with  his  company,  captured  the  leader  of  the  squad  wliich 
had  maltreated  Shelly,  and  turned  him  over  for  trial  to  a 
drum-head  court  martial.  After  hearing  the  evidence,  the 
court  found  the  prisoner  guilty  of  murder,  highway  robbery, 
treason,  burglary  and  arson,  and  sentenced  him  to  be  shot  as 
soon  as  he  could  say  his  prayers.  But  in  consideration  of  the 
prisoner's  having  a  certain  optical  indecision,  which  possibly 
prevented  him  from  seeing  straight  on  all  occasions,  the  court 
recommended  him  to  the  very  tender  mercies  of  their  kind- 
hearted,  benevolent,  very  honorable  and  brave  commanding 
officer,  Captain  Pond.    The  captain,  after  a  short  deliberation, 


198  THE   DORR   WAR. 

commuted  the  sentence  to  an  option  by  the  prisoner: — either, 
armed  with  a  broomstick  only,  to  fight  all  the  compan}-,  one 
by  one,  they  to  use  the  broadsword ;  or  to  take  a  position, 
100  yards  distant,  on  the  edge  of  a  quagmire,  and  there  re- 
ceive a  platoon  fire,  when,  if  he  did  not  fall,  he  was  to  be 
permitted  to  wade  through  the  quagmire  and  take  to  the 
wood  beyond.  It  was  stipulated,  however,  that  if  he  did  fall, 
mortally  or  immortally  wounded,  he  should  stop  and  go  no 
further  until  after  another  platoon  fire. 

The  prisoner  chose  the  platoon  fire,  which  he  received  run- 
ning, having  started  before  Captain  Pond  could  give  the  order 
to  shoot.  As  the  muskets  were  loaded  with  blank  cartridges, 
he  escaped,  and  when  last  seen  was  making  very  quick  time 
towards  Connecticut. 

The  General  Assembly  had  convened  at  Newport  on  June 
21,  determined  to  do  everything  possible  to  conciliate  the  dis- 
affected and  avert  the  evils  of  a  civil  conflict.  It  was  known 
beforehand  that  the  Assembly  would  be  in  favor  of  an  exten- 
sion of  the  suffrage.  In  accordance  with  numerous  petitions 
and  the  disj)osition  of  its  members,  it  passed  an  act  calling 
a  convention  to  be  held  at  Newport  on  the  second  Monday  in 
September,  for  the  purpose  of  framing  a  new  constitution  and 
submitting  it  to  the  people  of  the  State. 

The  assembling  of  Dorr's  forces  rendered  it  necessary  to 
take  decisive  measures  of  protection.  The  legislature  there- 
fore authorized  the  Governor  and  Council  to  proclaim  martial 
law.  Troops  were  brought  to  Providence  and  thence  were 
sent  in  detachments  to  such  points  as  would  enable  them 
to  protect  the  city  and  to  attack  Dorr  from  different  direc- 
tions. Moreover  a  portion  of  General  Stedman's  brigade 
was  ordered  to  the  rear  of  Chepachet,  in  order  to  cut  off  the 
retreat  of  the  enemy  into  Connecticut. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  the  State  troops  began  to  move 
towards  Chepachet,  with  the  object  of  attacking  the  en- 
trenchments on  Acote's  Hill. 


THE   DORR   WAR. 


199 


[The  accompanying  map  of  Providence  County,  and  the  Hst  of  the 
numbers  and  positions  of  the  State  troops  early  in  the  moruin<;  of 
June  28,  are  copied  from  the  Providence  Journal  of  July  19,  1842, 
which  was  attached  to  the  original  manuscript  of  A.  D.  H.] 

MASSACHUSETTS. 


MANVILLE 

CUMBER- 
LAND. 


MAP  OF  PROVIDENCE  COUNTY. 
DISPOSITION  OF  THE  STATE  TROOPS. 
At  Woonsocket 407  men  under  Major  Josiah  H.  Martin. 


Pawtucket.  ......   275 

"  Providence 800 

"  Greenville 501 

"  Scituate  Mills 349 

"  Poster 1100 


"  PaW'tuxet 


60 


Col.  G.  W.  Allen. 

Lieut.  Col.  Almon  D.  Hodges. 

Col.  Wm.  W.  Brown. 

Col.  Wm.  B.  Swan. 

Gen.  .John   B.    Stedman,    Gen. 

Alphonso  Green  and  Colonel 

King. 
Col.  Joseph  H.  Arnold. 


^^^^^ 3492  men,  besides  2  companies  of  horse. 

Major   General  William    Gibbs  McNeill  was  in  command  of   the 
State  forces  in  the  field. 


200  THE   DORR   WAR. 

The  City  Guard  regiment  was  directed  to  assemble  in 
marching  order  on  the  afternoon  of  June  27,  with  knapsacks, 
bhmkets,  ammunition  and  rations.  To  the  inquiry  of  Gen- 
eral McNeill  as  to  how  many  men  would  probably  report  in 
person,  the  regimental  officers  replied,  after  consultation,  that 
about  six  hundred  could  be  reckoned  on.  When  the  regi- 
ment formed  in  line,  at  five  P.  M.,  with  only  two  hours'  notice, 
there  were  over  one  thousand  present.  The  captains  were 
called  to  the  front  and  centre  by  the  colonel  commanding, 
and  informed  that  orders  had  been  received  to  leave  a  detail 
of  twenty  men  from  each  company  for  guard  duty  at  head- 
quarters. They  were  directed  to  explain  this  to  their  respec- 
tive companies,  it  being  supposed  that  some  of  the  oldest  men 
would  prefer  guard  duty  to  marching  against  Dorr's  forces. 
The  captains,  having  returned  to  their  positions  and  made 
the  explanation,  gave  the  order  that  those  who  were  willing 
to  march  immediately,  should  advance  six  paces  to  the  front 
—  and  the  whole  line  advanced.  It  was  very  difficult  to 
induce  the  requisite  number  to  stay  behind,  so  great  was  the 
excitement  and  the  desire  to  attack  Chepachet.  Indeed, 
when  Sergeant-Major  Jewett,  who  had  been  detailed  in  com- 
mand of  the  guard,  started  for  headquarters,  he  found  that  he 
had  a  company  of  about  fifty  men  only. 

The  regiment  started  on  the  advance.  Before  they  had 
reached  Greenville,  a  town  about  midway  between  Providence 
and  Chepachet,  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents. 

During  this  stormy  night  the  excitement  in  Providence 
was  intensified  by  the  exaggerated  rumors  which  came  from 
the  front.  News  having  been  received  that  the  Cadets  had 
been  attacked  near  Woonsocket  and  were  in  danger  of  cap- 
ture, a  company  was  mustered  and  sent  off  in  wagons  to 
the  rescue  within  one  hour.  Orders  were  sent  for  the 
Cadets  to  retreat  towards  Providence,  and  in  the  hurry  and 
excitement  it  was  forgotten  to  make  the  order  discretionary, 
which  proved  unfortunate  for  this  company,  which  was  nicely 


THE   DORR   WAR.  201 

bivouacked  in  a  brick  house,  and  in  fact  was  in  no  danger 
whatsoever. 

Amid  the  commotion  some  comical  events  occurred.  There 
was  living  at  the  time  in  Providence  a  Mr.  B.  (Boylston, 
son  of  a  well-known  engineer  and  architect  of  Boston),  a 
gentleman  of  leisure,  patriotic,  kind-hearted  and  genial.  He 
was  a  good  story-teller  and  very  desirable  company,  particu- 
larly when  there  was  no  important  business  on  hand.  He  was 
a  man-about-town  who  knew  everj^body  and  everybody's  af- 
fairs, and  who  would  talk  as  long  as  anyone  would  listen  to 
liim.  But  in  this  time  of  commotion  he  was  somewhat  in  the 
way,  especially  as  he  was  very  importunate  in  his  claim  for  a 
place  where  he  could  do  something  "  which  his  posterity 
would  have  reason  to  be  proud  of."  Being  a  man  consider- 
ably past  middle  age,  he  was  not  subject  to  military  duty, 
but  he  said  that  he  "  felt  particularly  wolfish  about  the  head 
and  shoulders,"  and  demanded  some  martial  position.  On 
this  point  he  begged  so  hard  for  something  to  do,  that  the 
officer  in  command  of  the  forces  in  the  city  finally  gave  him 
permission  to  go  to  the  headquarters  and  tell  the  officer  there 
that  he  had  directions  to  take  a  musket  and  stand  guard  on 
the  Market  House  steps  at  the  entrance  to  the  rooms  where 
the  Governor  and  Council  remained  during  the  rught.  Mr. 
B.  received  orders  direct  from  the  lieutenant  colonel  com- 
manding,* to  take  his  post  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  leading  to 
the  council  chamber,  and  to  challenge  any  suspicious  character 
who  might  come  prowling  around,  but  to  let  pass  unchal- 
lenged any  officer  whom  he  knew,  —  and  he  knew  almost 
everyone  likely  to  have  business  with  the  Council. 

It  happened  that  the  lieutenant  colonel  was  so  busily  em- 
ployed all  night  that  he  forgot  to  mention  the  existence  of 
this  extra  sentinel  to  the  officer  of  the  guard,  or  to  give 
orders  to  have  him  relieved.     Just  before  daylight,  however, 

*  This  was  the  writer  of  this  paper. 


202  THE   DORR    WAR. 

he  had  occasion  to  visit  the  council  chamber,  and  coming 
upon  the  sentinel's  beat,  was  suddenly  stopped  by  the  sharp 
challenge,  "Haiti  Who  goes  there?"  The  answer  was,  of 
course,  "A  friend."  "Advance,  friend,  and  give  the  counter- 
sign ! "  and  the  countersign  was  duly  given  over  the  point  of 
the  bayonet.  The  sight  of  the  genial  old  gentleman,  with 
rain  dripping  from  all  parts  of  his  clothing,  acting  as  sentinel 
and  sticking  heroically  to  his  post  all  night  because  he  had 
been  forgotten,  in  connection  with  the  fact  that  he  had  been 
ordered  to  challenge  only  suspicious  characters — and  he  un- 
doubtedly knew  the  person  whom  he  had  just  halted  —  struck 
the  officer  as  irresistibly  ludicrous.  When  after  a  time  he 
was  able  to  speak,  he  inquired,  "  Mr.  B,,  have  you  been 
standing  guard  here  all  night  long  in  tlie  rain  without  re- 
lief?" "Yes,  Colonel,  I  have  been  standing  here  ten  Jiours 
in  the  rain,  and  I  should  stand  here  ten  days  before  I  would 
leave  my  post  without  orders."  "  Has  not  the  relief  been  the 
regular  rounds  ? "  "  Yes,  sir,  the  Grand  Rounds  have  re- 
lieved every  other  sentinel  on  the  Square  regularly  every 
hour,  but  have  not  been  near  me.'"  "  Well  done,  good  and 
faithful  soldier  I  You  have  performed  your  duty  nobly ! 
Carry  your  musket  to  the  guard  house,  and  report  to  the 
officer  on  duty  that  j'ou  have  been  relieved  by  the  Colonel. 
And  his  advice  to  you  is,  to  go  home  to  your  family  and  go 
to  bed."  There  was  no  further  application  for  duty  and  no 
further  appearance  of  our  pet  guard  during  the  rest  of  the 
campaign. 

The  City  Guard  regiment,  as  before  stated,  marched  from 
Providence  this  night  as  far  as  Greenville,  where  they  made  a 
halt.  Early  in  the  morning  a  cannonading  was  heard  in  the 
direction  of  Chepachet.  This  was  supposed  to  indicate  an 
attack  on  the  insurgents'  fort  by  some  other  State  force,  and 
the  march  was  at  once  resumed.  Acote's  Hill  was  reached 
and  assailed,  but  no  resistance  was  made,  and  it  was  then  dis- 
covered that  Dorr  and  the  greater  part  of  his  army  had  fled, 


THE   DORR    WAR.  203 

the  men  whom  he  had  left  behind,  firing  the  cannon  as  a  part- 
ing salute  in  honor  of  Dorr's  sudden  retreat  from  the  State. 
The  fort  was  captured  with  about  a  hundred  men,  five  pieces 
of  cannon,  a  quantity  of  arms,  ammunition  and  baggage,  and 
also  some  sixty  ugly-looking  lances  said  to  have  been  carried 
by  Dorr's  "  Flying  Lancers."  After  this  the  main  body  of 
the  government  troops  returned  with  their  prisoners  to  Provi- 
dence, leaving  behind,  for  a  few  days,  a  sufficient  force  to 
occupy  the  village  and  protect  the  inhabitants.  The  captives 
were  put  in  jail,  and  examined  before  a  Court  of  Inquiry ; 
but  as  they  were  not  men  of  prominence  in  Dorr's  movement, 
they  were  discharged  after  an  imprisonment  of  one  to  three 
days. 

On  Monday,  June  27,  Sullivan  Dorr  had  visited  his  son  at 
Chepachet,  and  remonstrated  with  him  for  his  rash  undertak- 
ing. The  news  of  the  movement  of  the  State  troops  were 
received  at  the  camp,  and  when  it  was  known  that  the  main 
body  was  advancing,  the  insurgents  began  to  desert  with 
great  rapidity.  Then  Dorr  himself  quietly  departed  from 
Rhode  Island,  leaving  behind  a  letter  in  which  he  directed 
his  forces  to  disband,  and  sending  to  a  gentleman  in  Provi- 
dence the  following  note  :  — 

Chepachet,  June  27,  1842. 
Dear  Sir, 

Please  hand  the  enclosed  as  directed.  Believing  that  a  major- 
ity of  the  people  who  voted  for  my  Constitution  are  opposed  to 
its  further  support  by  military  means,  I  have  directed  that  the 
military  here  assembled  be  dismissed.  I  trust  that  no  impedi- 
ments will  be  thrown  in  the  way  of  the  return  of  the  men  to 
their  homes.  Yours  truly, 

T.  W.  Dorr. 

The  communication  referred  to,  and  enclosed  in  the  above 
note,  went  to  the  Governor  and  Council  immediately  on  its 
receipt,  and  was  published  in  the  papers  of  the  day. 


204  THE   UORR   WAR. 

During  this  period  of  trouble,  blood  was  shed  on  two 
occasions. 

A  member  of  a  company  from  Westerly  became  insane 
through  excitement.  Stepping  from  the  ranks,  he  aimed  his 
musket  at  his  brother,  who  was  an  officer  of  the  company,  and 
fired.     The  victim  fell  dead,  shot  through  the  head. 

The  other  fatal  event  occurred  on  the  day  of  Dorr's  retreat. 
The  Kentish  Guards  (Captain  Bateman),  the  Carbineers  (Cap- 
tain James  M.  Olney),  and  the  Providence  Artillery  (Colonel 
Bradford  Hodges),  were  at  Pawtucket,  guarding  the  bridge. 
A  mob  of  Dorr's  adherents  assembled  across  the  river,  on  the 
Massachusetts  side,  and  assailed  the  guard  with  brickbats, 
stones  and  other  missiles.  All  other  attempts  to  disperse  the 
rioters  having  failed,  and  these  becoming  bolder  and  endeavor- 
ing to  cross  the  bridge  and  drive  away  the  guard,  the  military 
delivered  a  platoon  fire  into  the  crowd,  killing  one  man  and 
wounding  two  others.     This  quelled  the  riot. 

As  soon  as  Dorr's  flight  was  known,  various  armed  parties 

were  sent  in  pursuit.     Among  the  many  orders  issued  for  the 

purpose  of  capturing  the  fugitive,  the  following,  received  by 

the  Lieutenant  Colonel  commanding  the  City  Regiment,  will 

serve  to  indicate  the  excited  state  of  mind  of  the  people  and 

authorities :  — 

Headquarters,  etc. 

Providence,  June  28,  1842. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Hodges  will  detail  a  guard  of  25  men  to  be 
placed  under  the  command  of  Amos  D.  Smith,  subject  to  the 
orders  of  Major  Mark  Antony  De  Wolf. 

Major  De  Wolf  will  proceed  by  the  train  of  this  day  to  Stoii- 
ington,  where  a  steamer  has  been  provided  in  which  he  will  cause 
his  command  to  be  at  once  transported.  He  will  intercept  the 
Xew  London  boat  in  Long  Island  Sound  and  diligently  search 
for  Thomas  W.  Dorr,  whom,  if  he  can  Hnd,  he  will  conduct  to 
these  Headquarters. 

By  order  of  the  Major  General  Commanding,  etc. 


THE   DORR   WAR.  205 

Within  an  hour  after  this  order  was  given,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Adjutant  G.  W.  Hallet  the  25  men  had  been  detailed 
and  placed  under  the  command  of  General  Smith  and  Major 
De  Wolf,  and  were  moving  rapidly  in  an  express  train  towards 
Stonington ;  and  Avithin  three  hours,  INIajor  De  Wolf  and  his 
men  had  left  the  wharf  in  Stonington.  They  overhauled  two 
or  three  steamers  wliich,  according  to  orders,  they  diligently 
searched.  But  the  fugitive  was  not  to  be  found,  —  fortu- 
nately, probably,  for  the  State  government.  If  Dorr  had 
been  seized  in  the  manner  and  place  intended,  an  unpleasant- 
ness might  have  arisen  between  the  State  and  the  United 
States  authorities. 

Governor  King  again  issued  a  proclamation,  offering  a  re- 
ward of  five  thousand  dollars  for  Dorr's  arrest ;  but  for  a 
considerable  space  of  time  nothing  definite  was  learned  con- 
cerning the  fugitive.  Rumor  placed  liim  sometimes  in  New 
York,  and  sometimes  in  New  Hampshire  in  the  care  of  his 
friend  Edmund  Burke. 

The  Constitutional  Convention,  as  directed  by  the  General 
Assembl}',  met  at  Newport  in  September,  and  framed  a  con- 
stitution in  which  the  suffrage  was  given  to  every  native- 
born  male  resident,  twenty-one  years  of  age,  whether  white  or 
black.  When  this  constitution  was  submitted  to  the  people, 
it  was  adopted  by  a  large  majority  of  the  votes.  Men  of  all 
parties  were  satisfied,  and  the  excitement  gradually  died 
away. 

In  April,  1844,  James  Fenner  was  elected  Governor.  The 
gubernatorial  office  had  been  held  by  him  and  his  father  for 
thirty-seven  out  of  fifty  years.  He  was  an  old  Jeffersonian 
Democrat,  was  chosen  United  States  Senator  in  1808,  and 
for  many  years  was  one  of  the  most  popular  men  in  the 
State.  He  possessed  ability,  sterling  honesty  and  a  com- 
manding presence.*       During  the   Dorrite   troubles    he    had 

*  His  weight  was  340  pounds. 


206 


THE   DOKR   WAR. 


been  a  leading  member  of  Governor  King's  Council  and  an 
uncompromising  "  Algerine." 

" LAW  AIVD  ORI>EK.»'  ^^  ^'^'^^  Governor  Fenner 

Bhode-Isiaod  Prox,  ;^;^^;^^  ^  -^««^§-^  ^^'^^"^ 

Mr.  Dorr  requesting  per- 
^    [       ,  mission  to  return    to    the 

State.  The  bearer  of  the 
message  was  very  decided 
in  his  manner,  and  very 
persistent  in  urging  com- 
pliance with  his  friend's 
request,  and  finally  aroused 
the  old  war-horse's  indig- 
nation. "  You  may  return 
to  your  friend,  Tom  Dorr," 
he  said,  "  and  tell  him  as 
long  as  he  keeps  out  of 
this  State,  so  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  he  will  not  be 
molested.  But  so  sure  as 
he  places  his  foot  in  Rhode 
Island,  he  will  be  arrested; 
if  arrested,  he  will  be  tried 
for  treason  by  our  Supreme 
Court;  if  tried,  he  will  be 
convicted;  and  if  convic- 
ted, he  will  be  sentenced 
to  the  State  Prison  for  life 


FOR  GOVERNOR, 

James  Feooer, 

OF  PROVIDENCE 
FOR  LIEUTENANT  GOVERNOR. 

%ron  Diman, 
OF  BRISTOL 
FOR  SECRETARY  OF  STATE, 


OF  PROVIDENCE. 
FOR  ATTORNEY  GENERAL, 

Joseph"  M. 

■•     OF  BRISTOL. 
FOR  GENERAL  TREASURER. 

Stephen  Cahoone 

*        or  NEWPORT. 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    STATE   TICKET    IN    1844/ 


according  to  law." 


*  So  far  as  I  am  aware,  the  word  2^roi\  meaning  a  list  of  candidates 
for  election  and  the  ballot  containing  such  a  list,  has  been  used  only  in 
Khode  Island.  Staples,  in  his  Annals  of  Providence,  p.  04,  says  :  — Such 
of  the  colony  as  could  not  attend  the  General  Assembly,  had  the  right 
to  send  their  votes  for  officers,  by  some  other  person  ;  hence  the  origin 
of  the  terms  jyrox  and  proxy  votes,  as  applied  to  the  present  mode  of 
voting  for  State  officers  in  Rhode  Island. 


THE   DORR   WAR.  207 

Mr.  Dorr  was  not  content  to  keep  away  from  the  State  but 
returned  to  Providence,  and  the  prediction  of  the  Governor 
was  fulfilled  to  the  letter.  Within  an  hour  of  his  arrival,  he 
was  arrested.  He  was  tried  for  treason,  convicted,  and  sen- 
tenced to  the  State  Piison  for  life  by  the  Supreme  Court, 
Judge  Durfee  presiding. 

Soon  after  his  commitment  to  prison,  petitions  for  his  re- 
lease were  circulated  and  received  many  signatures.  The 
main  argument  in  the  petitions  was,  that  the  majesty  of  the 
law  having  been  sufficiently  vindicated  by  Dorr's  trial,  con- 
viction and  sentence,  his  longer  imprisonment  would  only 
excite  the  sympathies  of  people  in  his  behalf.  There  was  a 
feeling  among  our  good  citizens  that,  in  order  to  avoid  all 
further  agitation,  it  would  be  judicious  to  discharge  liim ;  and 
that  if  this  were  done,  he  would  soon  be  forgotten.  More- 
over some  of  the  Law  and  Order  party  knew  that  he  was  sub- 
ject to  violent  attacks  of  acute  rheumatism,  and  they  feared, 
if  he  should  die  in  prison,  the  enemies  of  the  party  would 
raise  such  a  hue  and  cry  that  they  would  never  hear  the  last 
of  it. 

On  October  30,  the  Law  and  Order  members  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  then  in  session  at  Bristol,  held  a  caucus  at 
which  this  subject  was  discussed.  After  a  stormy  debate, 
which  lasted  until  after  midnight,  it  was  arranged  that,  the 
next  morning,  a  member  should  move  "  that  a  committee  be 
appointed  to  take  into  consideration  the  liberation  of  Thomas 
W.  Doit  from  the  State  Prison,  and  report  at  the  next  ses- 
sion of  the  General  Assembly  to  be  held  in  Providence  Jan- 
uary, 1845."  The  motion  was  made  and  carried,  and  the 
Speaker,  Samuel  Ames,  who  was  a  brother-in-law  of  Dorr, 
nominated,  as  members  of  tlie  committee,  Alfred  Bosworth  of 
Warren,  Wilkins  Updike  of  South  Kingston,  and  Almon  D. 
Hodges  of  Providence  [chairman],  and  they  were  elected. 

Early  in  January,  1845,  the  committee  held  a  number  of 
sessions  at  the  State  House  in  Providence.     They  were  ad- 


208  THE   DORR   WAR. 

dressed  by  the  Rev.  Martin  Cheney  and  others,  and  the  sub- 
ject attracted  such  Lirge  audiences  that  the  chamber  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  was  crowded.  Sullivan  Dorr,  the 
father,  was  informed  by  the  committee  that  they  would  hear 
him,  or  his  counsel,  at  one  of  these  public  sessions  or  in 
private,  as  his  feelings  might  dictate.  He  preferred  to  be 
heard  in  private,  and  his  address  had  more  influence  upon 
the  committee  than  all  the  others.  His  statement  of  the 
effect  upon  the  mother  and  himself  of  the  commitment  of 
their  son  to  State  Prison  for  life  so  deeply  moved  the  chair- 
man of  the  committee,  that  only  with  great  difiiculty  could 
this  gentleman  give  utterance  to  his  ideas  when  the  time 
came  for  him  to  speak ;  and  the  other  two  members  were  as 
much  affected  as  the  chairman.  The  plea  of  the  father  was 
rendered  stronger  by  the  fact  that  he  had  always  shown  great 
indignation  at  his  son's  violent  actions,  had  expressed  himself 
in  very  uncomplimentary  language  on  the  point,  and  had  even 
ordered  his  son  out  of  the  house  early  in  the  period  of  the 
rebellion. 

The  connnittee  unanimously  reported  a  resolution  for  the 
discharge  of  Dorr  from  prison,  on  his  taking  the  ordinary  oath 
of  allegiance.  This  resolution  was  passed  by  a  large  vote  on 
January  17,  it  being  a  noticeable  fact  that  all  the  Dorrites  in 
the  legislature  voted  against  it.  A  copy  of  the  resolution  was 
sent  at  once  to  Dr.  Cleaveland,  Warden  of  the  prison,  with 
directions  to  communicate  it  to  the  prisoner.  Dr.  Cleaveland 
found  Dorr  engaged  in  his  regular  occupation  of  painting 
fans  —  "Dorr  fans"  were  in  demand  at  this  time  —  and  read 
aloud  the  document,  in  accordance  with  orders.  As  Dorr 
continued  at  work,  the  Warden  called  his  attention  to  the 
paper,  which  the  prisoner  took  and  read  over  to  liimself. 
And  then  saying,  "  When  I  am  ready  to  accept  the  terms 
of  that  resolution  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island, 
Doctor,  I  will  let  you  know  it,"  he  quietly  resumed  his 
painting. 


THE    DORR    WAR.  209 

Those  who  knew  Dorr's  character  felt  that  the  man  would 
never  accept  the  condition  imposed  by  the  legislature,  and 
were  convinced  that  he  would  not  leave  the  prison  unless  the 
government  gave  imperative  orders  to  discharge  him.  Acting 
on  this  belief,  after  a  long  and  excited  debate  at  the  June 
session  of  the  General  Assembly,  they  carried  a  resolution 
ordering  the  warden  to  discharge  Thomas  W.  Dorr  from 
the  prison. 

When  Dr.  Cleaveland  read  tliis  order  to  Dorr,  the  prisoner 
said  that  he  supposed  the  time  had  now  come  when  he  must 
go.  "Yes,"  replied  the  warden,  who  had  become  much  at- 
tached to  liis  prisoner,  "Yes,  Governor,  the  time  has  now 
arrived  when  I  am  obliged  to  say  to  you,  that  you  are  by  law 
expelled  from  this  institution.'''' 

The  "  Governor  "  asked  to  be  allowed  some  little  time  to 
consider  the  matter,  and  was  given  until  the  evening  of  that 
day.  Then  he  was  taken  to  the  Warden's  room  and  offered 
a  suit  of  clothing  and  a  sum  of  money  amounting  to  about 
tliirty  dollars,  the  law  directing  that  these  should  be  given  to 
each  discharged  prisoner.  Dorr  became  indignant  at  the  offer, 
and  declared  tiiat  he  would  not  submit  to  such  terms  from 
the  State.  He  finally  consented  to  borrow  the  Warden's  coat 
until  the  next  day,  concluding  that  it  was  imprudent  to 
wear  his  prison  uniform  through  tlie  streets,  even  in  the 
night-time. 

The  following,  copied  from  the  books  of  the  State  Prison, 
shows  that  the  time  of  imprisonment  was  just  one  year : 

Tlioinas  W.  Dorr,  aged  38  3'ears. 
Xuiiil^er  of  Prisoner        56. 
Offence    .         .         .       Treason. 
Date  of  Sentence     .       June  27,  1844. 
Term        .         .         .       for  life. 
Date  of  Discliarge    .       June  27,  1845. 

Henceforward  Mr.  Dorr  was  seldom  seen.     After  a  stormy 
and  exciting  life  such  as  seldom  falls  to  the  lot  of  a  human 


210  THE   D(3KK   WAR. 

being,  he  passed  to  his  final  account  on  December  27,  1854, 
and  now  "  sleeps  the  sleep  that  knows  not  breaking." 

And  all  of  those  who  took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in 
the  last  act  of  this  drama  —  the  four  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  the  Speaker  of  the  House,  the  Governor  of  the  State, 
the  men  who  addressed  the  committee  wliich  framed  the  reso- 
lution discharging  the  prisoner,  the  members  of  that  commit- 
tee with  the  exception  of  the  writer  of  this  account,  Thomas 
W.  Dorr  and  liis  father  and  mother  —  all  of  these  have  gone 
to  their  final  rest. 

Boston  Highlands,  Feb.  17,  1S09. 


FAMILY   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE. 


.N  Tuesday,  October  15,  1827,  Almon  Daiiforth 
Hodges  and  Martha  Comstock  were  married  in 
Providence,  at  the  residence  of  the  bride's  mother 
in  Comstock  Court,  North  Main  Street,  by  Rev. 
Henry  Edes,  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  (Unitarian) 
Church.  The  bride  and  her  mother  had  worshipped  with  the 
First  Baptist  Society,  but  both  were  of  the  opinion  that  man 
and  wife  should  not  be  separated  even  on  Sundays ;  and  the 
bride  elected  to  attend  her  husband's  church,  finding  no 
irreconcilable  difference  between  her  creed  and  his.  His 
theology  remained  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  his  old 
minister,  Pitt  Clarke  of  Norton. 

At  the  wedding  ceremony,  the  groomsmen  were  John  L. 
Emmons,  John  J.  Stimson,  Charles  Porter  and  James  N. 
Olney  ;  and  the  bridesmaids  were  Catherine  Comstock,  Mary 
Thurber,  Amelia  S.  Townsend  and  Frances  Stillwell.  Of 
these,  Amelia  S.  Townsend  afterwards  married  Charles  Por- 
ter, and  Frances  Stillwell  married  James  N.  Olney. 

Martha  Comstock  was  born  on  November  7,  1806,  in  Lan- 
singburg.  New  York,  where  her  parents  were  residing  tempo- 
rarily. She  was  of  pure  New  England  stock,  and  was  allied 
with  many  of  the  most  prominent  Rhode  Island  families,  — 
not  so  many,  however,  as  would  have  been  the  case  if  her 
father  and  mother  had  not  been  first  cousins. 

Samuel  Comstock, — who  may  have  come  from  Connecticut, 
and  may  have  been  son  of  William  Comstock  of  Wethersfield 
in  that  State,  as  some  say,  —  on  March  1,  1654,  old  style,  or 
March  11,  1655,  as  we  now  compute  dates,  bought  a  home  lot 

(211). 


212  FAMILY   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE. 

of  four  acres  in  the  northerly  part  of  Providence  from  John 
Smith  the  mason,  who  afterwards  married  Comstock's  widow. 
Rhode  Island  even  then  was  rich  in  Smiths  and  had  at  least 
six  original  John  Smiths,  who,  with  the  other  Johns  of  a  Httle 
later  date,  ever  since  have  danced  their  wayward  rounds 
among  bewildered  genealogists.  Samuel  Comstock  died  in 
Providence  in  1656  or  1657,  leaving  two  sons. 

Captain  Samuel  Comstock,  the  elder  son,  married  Elizabeth 
Arnold,  —  everybody  knows  or  ought  to  know  about  the 
Providence  Arnolds,  —  and  had  eight  children.  His  sixth 
cliild,  John  Comstock,  married  Esther  Jenckes,  daughter  of 
William  and  Patience  (Sprague)  Jenckes,  and  was  associated, 
as  a  bloomer  and  blacksmith,  with  his  wife's  family  —  whose 
members  have  ever  been  cunning  to  work  all  works  in  brass 
and  iron  —  and  also  stood  well  with  his  Sprague  connections, 
then,  as  since,  leading  citizens.  John's  eldest  son,  Samuel 
Comstock,  married  Anna  Brown,  daughter  of  Rev.  James  and 
Mary  (Harris)  Brown,  great-granddaughter  of  Rev.  Chad 
Brown  (the  first  settled  pastor  of  the  P'irst  Baptist  Church), 
and  aunt  of  the  four  "Brown  brothers,"  John,  Joseph,  Moses 
and  Nicholas,  so  prominent  in  the  history  of  the  town,  colony 
and  State. 

Samuel  and  Anna  (Brown)  Comstock  had  seven  children. 
One  son,  Jeremiah,  married  Hannali  Bowen  of  Warren,  and 
was  father  of  Samuel  Comstock ;  another  son,  Benjamin,  mar- 
ried Mary  Winsor  of  Glocester  (great-great-granddaughter  of 
Roger  Williams),  and  was  father  of  Sally  Brown  Comstock ; 
and  Sally  Brown  Comstock  married  her  cousin  Samuel  Com- 
stock, and  became  mother  of  Martha  Comstock,  who  married 
Almon  D.  Hodges. 

Sally  Brown  Comstock  was  one  of  the  Rhode  Island  gentle- 
folk :  —  by  family,  as  you  know  if  you  have  read  the  fore- 
going paragraphs  ;  by  nature,  as  you  would  have  perceived 
if  you  had  met  her.  Her  husband  died  comparatively  young 
in  New  York  State,  and  his  widow,  proud  and  independent 


SALLY   BROWN   COMSTOCK. 


FAMILY   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  218 

in  character,  was  thrown  on  her  own  resources.  She  returned 
to  Providence  and  managed  successfully  a  millinery  business, 
without  detriment  to  her  social  position,  supported  and 
educated  her  two  daughters,  and  accumulated  a  surplus  for 
her  old  aare.  Her  orrandchildren  recollect  her  as  a  handsome, 
alert  old  lady,  rather  small  in  stature,  with  keen  black  eyes, 
clear  brain,  retentive  memory  and  broad  knowledge ;  also 
with  strong  family  pride  and  affection,  and  warm  love  for  her 
children  and  grandchildren.  She  is  most  often  remembered 
as  she  appeared  in  her  room,  clad  in  a  soft  l)lack  Thibet 
o-own  —  she  always  wore  black  after  the  death  of  her  daugh- 
ter Martha  —  and  with  a  white  ruffled  cap,  sitting  upright  in 
her  rocking  chair  in  a  sunny  corner  —  where  was  a  wonderful 
cupboard  —  reading  or  chatting  while  her  knitting-needles 
flew  with  lightning-like  rapidity.  Thither  resorted  to  her  the 
family  and  her  intimate  friends.  Formal  callers  —  coming 
with  their  fine  carriages,  silver-harnessed  horses,  and  comely, 
big  black  coachmen  —  were  received  in  a  rustling  black  silk 
dress  in  the  drawing-room. 

That  bedroom  corner,  sun-lit  by  day  and  lamp-lit  in  the 
evening,  was  reserved  for  her  familiars  and  for  familiar  dis- 
course. Conversations  held  there,  and  listened  to  by  little 
pitchers  with  big  ears,  ranged  over  a  broad  field :  —  the  prices 
of  stocks  ;  the  ups  and  downs  of  business ;  how  certain  ances- 
tors (names  mentioned)  had  once  owned  large  portions  of 
Providence,  and  if  they  had  only  held  on  to  their  lands,  in- 
stead of  selling  them  cheap,  their  descendants  would  now  be 
im-mense-ly  wealthy ;  how  one  relation  had  been  born  in 
affluence,  but  had  lost  everything  through  foolish  specula- 
tion ;  how  another  had  been  made  rich  by  the  great  rise  in 
value  of  certain  shares,  which  he  had  been  obliged  to  receive, 
originally,  in  payment  of  a  small  debt,  when  they  were  con- 
sidered worthless ;  how  some  kinspeople  had  married  in  haste 
and  repented  at  more  or  less  leisure  ;  how  others  had  married 
well  and  lived  happily  ever  after ;  what  terrible  things  were 


214  FA.MILY   LIFE    IN    PROVIDENCE. 

being  done  in  the  Crimeun  War;  what  an  excitement  had 
been  caused  by  the  "  Morgan  Murder,"  and  wliat  bitter  dis- 
cussions had  arisen  as  to  whether  the  Masons  had  really 
killed  Morgan.*  The  talks  had  no  limits  of  time,  place  or 
person. 

One  grandchild  remembers  a  stranger  scene :  —  his  aged 
grandmother,  in  the  darkness  of  night,  kneeling  by  her  bed- 
side and  wrestling  with  the  Lord,  —  sobbing  and  crying  over 
the  loss  of  her  dear  daughter,  long  since  removed  by  death  — 
reproaching  her  Maker  for  his  unnecessary  cruelty — and  then 
praying  for  pity  and  forgiveness  and  comfort,  and  strength  to 
say.  Thy  will  be  done. 

Martha  Comstock  Hodges  was  a  lovable  example  of  the 
old  New  England  housekeeper  —  that  matchless  combination 
of  the  domestic  virtues  and  the  social  graces.  In  her  were 
united  deep  aftection  for  her  husband  and  charming  tact  in 
her  dealings  with  him  ;  devotion  to  her  children  and  wisdom 
in  bringing  them  up  and  gaining  their  love  and  respect ;  wise 
economy  and  genuine  hospitality.  She  possessed  in  a  high 
degree  an  executive  ability  which  enabled  her  to  keep  her 
home  always  in  order,  always  cheerful,  comfortable  and  at- 
tractive to  her  family  and  her  family's  man}-  friends,  and  yet 
find  time  for  outside  pleasures  and  acts  of  neighborly  kind- 
ness. To  assist  her  in  her  household  work,  she  usually  had 
only  one  maid,  until  the  increasing  number  of  her  children  — 
eight  boys  were  born  to  her  —  made  another  necessary.     Yet 


*In  1826,  William  Morgan  of  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  who  was  reported  to  be 
about  to  publish  a  book  exposing  the  secrets  of  the  Order  of  Free- 
masons, of  which  he  had  been  a  membei',  was  kidnapped  and  carried 
off.  An  investigation  indicated  (some  say  proved)  that  he  was  drowned 
in  Lake  Ontario.  Several  persons  connected  with  the  abduction  were 
arrested  and  tried,  but  no  murder  was  ever  officially  established.  It  was 
charged  that  the  abductors  and  supposed  murderers  were  Freemasons, 
a  charge  vehemently  repelled.  A  tremendous  excitement  arose  against 
the  fraternity,  and  an  anti-Masonic  political  party  was  formed,  which 
was  successful  for  several  years  in  the  elections  in  various  States. 


FAMILY   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  215 

constantly  in  her  house,  wliich  was  her  pride,  simple  enter- 
tainments were  held,  with  suppers,  music,  dancing  and  pleas- 
ant conversation ;  and  now  and  then,  a  larger  and  more  formal 
party  or  reception. 


The  social  ambition  of  a  New  England  wife  at  this  period 
was  to  have  a  separate  house,  of  which  she  was  the  recognized 
executive  manager,  where  she  could  receive  and  entertain  her 
friends.  Providence  was  noted  for  the  number  of  its  large, 
handsome  and  comfortable  mansions,  and  for  the  quality  of 
its  society.  In  order  to  fit  girls  for  high  social  station,  the}' 
were  not  only  given  a  general  education,  but  were  also  taught 
to  perform  practically  all  the  details  of  housekeeping  —  as  is 
said  to  be  done  even  now  with  the  Imjjerial  Family  of  Ger- 
many. And  they  were  instructed  liotv  to  work,  how  to  ac- 
complish the  desired  end  with  the  least  expense  of  time  and 
trouble,  by  using  their  brains  as  well  as  their  hands. 

On  October  16,  the  newly  married  couple  started  on  their 
wedding  tour.  Hiring  a  one-horse,  two-wheeled  chaise,  carry- 
ing "  all  our  luggage  in  a  hair  trunk  slung  below  the  axle  of 
the  chaise,"  they  left  Providence  at  ten  in  the  morning  on  the 
road    to    Boston.     They  dined    at    Clapp's  in  Walpole,  and 


216  FAMILY    LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE. 

reached  their  destination  at  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  They 
spent  five  days  in  Boston  and  vicinity,  making  many  calls, 
attending  a  party  given  in  their  honor,  shopping,  going  to  the 
theatre,  and  on  Sunday  attending  church.  On  the  22d  of 
the  month,  at  nine  in  the  morning,  they  started  back,  stop- 
ping here  and  there  at  friends'  houses  on  the  way.  They 
rode  through  Uoxbur}-,  Dorchester,  Canton,  Sharon  (^yhere 
they  dined),  Fox  borough,  Mansfield,  Attleborough  and  See- 
konk,  and  arrived  home  at  eight  in  the  evening.  It  was  not 
a  long,  nor  an  expensive  wedding  journey,  but  it  was  rarely 
delightful.  It  was  the  happy  beginning  of  a  happy  life  in 
which  there  was  never  a  shadow  of  disagreement. 

The  couple  boarded  at  first  with  the  bride's  mother  in  the 
house  where  they  were  married.  It  was  a  double  house,  in 
one  part  of  which  lived  the  bride's  grandfather,  Benjamin 
Comstock,  "  a  fine-looking  old  gentleman,  who  belonged  to 
the  Society  of  Friends  and  wore  the  Quaker  costume.  He 
died  September  30,  1828,  aged  82.  Martha  and  I  watched 
with  him  the  night  before  his  death."* 

In  August,  1828,  the  pair  moved  into  the  Taylor  (or  Grin- 
nell  and  Taylor)  house,  at  42  Westminster  Street,  just  above 
the  Arcade,  and  began  housekeeping.  On  or  about  May  1, 
1829,  they  changed  to  the  Eddy  house,  on  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  Brown  and  Charles  Field  Streets,  where  three  children 
were  born,f  and  where  the  family  lived  until  their  own  house 
on  Benevolent  Street  was  completed, — in  March,  1837.  This 
house,  which  father  built,  was  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the 
Mount  Hope  Club,  opposite  the  First  Congregational  Church. 
In  it  four  more  children  were  born,  and  one  died  very  young.  | 

*  Recollections  of  A.  D.  H. 

I  Danforth  Comstock  Hodges,  born  Sept.  15, 1831.  William  Townsend 
Hodges,  born  Oct.  21,  1833.     George  Foster  Hodges,  born  Jan.  12,  1837. 

J  Frederick  Stimson  Hodges,  born  Sept.  29,  1839  ;  died  Oct.  26,  1839. 
Fi^derick  Stimson  Hodges,  born  Oct.  15, 1840,  Ahuon  Danforth  Hodges, 
Jr.,  born  July  16,  1843.     Francis  Olney  Hodges,  born  May  16,  1846. 


5  O 

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i£.  O 

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o  n 

0  -0 

-^  33 

>  O 

•  < 

P  5 

1  5 

op  rri 


FAMILY   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  217 

Here  father  lived  during  the  remainder  of  his  residence  in 
Providence. 

There  Avere  no  long  vacations  in  those  days,  during  which 
the  wife  abandoned  her  husband  and  spent  weeks  (or  months) 
as  now  at  summer  or  winter  resorts.  The  house,  like  the  busi- 
ness office,  was  kept  open  throughout  the  year.  But  there 
were  frequent  holidays  and  numberless  short  excursions.  Now 
and  then  father  and  mother  went  to  New  York  or  to  Boston, 
in  order  to  shop  and  to  visit,  on  occasion  taking  one  or  more 
of  the  children  with  them.  It  was  an  oft-repeated  custom  to 
hire  a  horse  and  carryall  and  journey  among  relations  and 
friends,  and  enjoy  their  hospitality.  Usually  an  assistant  went 
along,  to  help  in  the  care  of  the  little  ones.  This  assistant 
might  be  a  nurse-maid,  but  oftener  was  a  relation  or  a  friend, 
a  social  equal,  who  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  for  travel  and 
enjoyment.  These  numerous  short  trips  took  the  family  over 
quite  an  extensive  region,  from  Newq3ort  on  the  south  to 
beyond  Boston  on  the  north,  and  various  were  the  incidents 
and  experiences.  On  one  occasion,  in  the  year  1832,  when 
the  dreaded  Asiatic  cholera,  originating  in  India,  had  entered 
America  through  Quebec  and  spread  over  the  United  States, 
creating  universal  terror,  the  family  were  stopped  at  the 
boundary  line  between  Freetown  and  Fall  River  and  examined 
for  signs  of  the  dire  disease.  Only  when  they  had  proved 
themselves  spotless  were  they  allowed  to  proceed. 

How  delightful  those  excursions  were  !  How  nice  it  was 
to  occasionally  drive  the  horse,  as  we  journeyed  on  througli 
new  scenes  I  How  pleasant  were  the  people  whom  we  visit- 
ed, —  how  hospitable,  and  what  good  things  they  had  to  eat  I 
How  glad  they  were  to  see  "Colonel  Hodges,"  and  to  know 
his  family  and  to  entertain  his  children !  Then  each  excur- 
sion always  had  one  grand  objective  point,  —  it  might  be  a 
farm,  with  forests  and  flowers  and  berries ;  or  a  pond  or  bay, 
-  on  which  we  could  sail  and  fish :  or  a  beach,  where  we  could 
bathe  and  play  in  the  sand;  or  a  military  camp  with  its  gal- 


•_>18  FAMILY   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE. 

laiit  soldiers,  its  inspiring  bands  and  its  glorious  drills,  where 
we  were  made  so  much  of  by  high  officers  attired  in  splendid 
uniforms ;  or  some  other  wonderful  place.  And  when  the 
trip  had  ended,  what  lovely  memories  remained  of  what  had 
occurred,  and  what  great  expectations  were  formed  of  what 
was  going  to  happen  next  time ! 

Once  in  two  years,  on  an  average,  father  and  mother,  with 
two  or  three  others,  took  quite  a  long  excursion  trip  lasting 
from  two  weeks  to  a  month.  Three  of  my  older  brothers  went 
to  an  excellent  boarding  school  in  the  beautiful  town  of 
Lanesborough,  Massachusetts,  among  the  Berkshire  liills. 
This  school  was  kept  by  Mr.  N.  P.  Talcott,  a  noted  teacher, 
and  after  his  death  by  Mr.  Daniel  Day.  So  long  as  any  of  my 
brothers  remained  here  (from  1840  to  1848),  this  was  always 
one  of  the  places  of  call.  To  reach  it  from  Providence,  before 
the  railroad  from  Boston  was  completed  to  Albany,  the  usual 
route  was  by  boat  to  New  York,  thence  by  steamer  up  the 
Hudson  river  to  Albany  or  Troy  (where  we  had  cousins), 
and  then  by  stage  to  Lanesborough.  On  these  excursions  the 
principal  points  of  beauty  and  interest  along  the  Hudson  were 
visited.  Perhaps  the  river  was  left  at  the  town  of  Hudson, 
where  the  cars  were  taken  as  far  as  West  Stockbridge  ;  or  if 
the  river  was  followed  up  to  Albany,  a  side  trip  to  Saratoga 
and  Ballston  Spa  was  indulged  in. 

A  stop  of  several  days  was  almost  always  made  at  West 
Point.  Father  was  well  acquainted  with  Colonel  Sylvanus 
Thayer,  the  "  father  of  the  Military  Academy,"  and  other 
high  officials  there,  and  was  cordially  welcomed  when  he  ap- 
peared, and  pleasantly  entertained.  I  myself  was  once  in- 
vited by  the  Corps  of  Cadets  to  attend  their  Military  Ball ; 
but  mother  refused  to  let  me  go,  as  I  was  only  thirteen 
months  old. 

One  year  there  was  a  trip  "  down  East,"  to  visit  father's 
married  sister  and  an  uncle  and  cousin  and  many  friends  in 
Maine.     The  journey  was  made  by  steamboat  along  the  coast 


DANFORTH    COMSTOCK   HODGES.  WILLIAM   TOWNSEND   HODGES. 


FAMILY    LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  219 

and  by  stage  in  the  interior,  railroads  not  yet  having  invaded 
that  region.  The  stage  coaches  were  not  especially  comfort- 
able, the  roads  were  not  particularly  good,  and  the  hours  of 
uprising  and  downlying  were  not  always  agreeable  ;  yet  the 
Journal  touches  lightly  on  these  inconveniences,  dwells  chiefly 
on  the  delight  of  meeting  dear  friends,  and  declares  that  the 
travellers  had  a  most  enjoyable  time. 

3[I)c  l^.  S.    €av^s   of  (Ha^cfs, 

y  request  the  pleasure 

of  _       ^jri^  <i^.&jf(^<^c/ -f?^J^'^^**?pfy'.yi 

/  / 

company  at  their  Mil  .ITARYj BALL  to  be  given  at  West  Point,  on  the  29tb 

.of  August.  1844 

West  Point,  N.  Y. 


^_ 


August,  ^c>  1844 


p.  A.  FARRELLT  O.  C.  BARBER, 

LOUIS  HEBERT,  J.  C.  BONNYCASTLK, 

FITZ  JOHN  PORTER,  J.  DE  RUSSKY, 

THOMAS  G.  RHETT,  HENRY  HETH, 

H.  L.  SHIELDS,  W.  H.  HILL,' 

T.  B   J.  WELD,  D.  T.  VAN  BUREN. 

Another  year  an  excursion  was  made  by  rail  to  Niagara 
Falls.  Railroad  travel  in  those  days  was  comparatively  slow  ; 
tliirty-four  hours  were  spent  on  the  road  between  Boston  and 
the  Falls ;  there  were  no  through  trains  or  parlor  cars,  and 
night-travelling  in  the  ordinary  passenger  coaches  was  often 
necessary.  Many  stops  were  made  along  the  road, —  at  Lanes- 
borough,  to  visit  my  brother  Foster;  at  Albany,  to  call  on 
friends ;  at  Utica,  to  take  a  side  trip  to  Trenton  Falls,  then  a 
very  popular  pleasure  resort ;  at  Syracuse,  to  look  at  the  salt 
works  ;  and  at  Rochester,  to  see  the  Genesee  river  plunge 
down  two  hundred  and  five  feet,  in  three  drops,  into  a  rocky 
gorge.     At  Niagara  Falls  the  usual  points  of  interest  were 


220 


FAMILY    LIFE    IN    PROVIDENCE. 


visited  —  some  of  them  have  now  disappeared  —  including 
the  battle  ground  of  Lundy's  Lane,  the  Burning  Springs  and 
Brock's  Monument,  then  in  a  shattered  condition.  From  the 
Falls  the  horse  cars  were  taken  to  Queenstown,  and  the  steam- 
boat to  Toronto,  to  Kingston,  and  down  the  St.  Lawrence 
river  to  Montreal  and  Quebec.     One  link  in  the  trip  down 


INIAGARA  FALLS,  G.  W. 


This  is  to  Certify,  That 

HAS  PASSED  BEHIND  imL  GREAT 

TO  TERMINATION  ROCK, 

i^eiiig  230  feel  behind  tlic  Great  Horse-Shoe  Fail. 

Given  uader  my  hand,  at  the  office  of  the  General 
Register  of  the  names  of  visiters  at  the  Table  Rock, 


day  of     ^^^^^^.C^    \M^: 


this  river  was  traversed  in  a  rickety  coach  over  a  plank  road, 
^-  from  Coteau  de  Lac,  at  the  foot  of  Lake  St.  Francis,  to  the 
lower  end  of  the  Cascade  Rapids.  Running  these  rapids  in  a 
steamboat  was  then  considered  altogether  too  dangerous.  At 
Montreal,  the  Journal  relates,  "  we  went  to  the  Artillery  Bar- 
racks, where  a  salute  was  fired  in  honor  of  Queen  Victoria's 
coronation  ^ix  years  ago.'''     From  Canada  the  return  was  made 


GEORGE   FOSTER   HODGES. 


FAMILY   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE.  221 

by  way  of  Lake  George,  Saratoga,  the  Hudson  River  and  New 
York. 

Like  all  children  at  this  period  of  unlimited  families  and 
limited  domestic  help,  we  small  boys  were  brought  up  to 
work  i)i  and  around  the  house,  and  were  sent  early  to  school. 
jNIy  younger  brother  and  I  must  have  gone  at  the  age  of 
three,  because  when  we  were  four  years  old  we  read  —  with 
some  assistance  over  the  big  words  —  those  verses  of  the  Bible 
which  came  to  us  in  turn  at  family  prayers.  I  have  heard 
father  say  that  he  had  seen,  in  Miss  Maria  Eddy's  private 
school,  a  teacher  surrounded  by  infants  who  were  bolstered 
up  with  pillows,  and  tended  and  made  happy,  during  the 
lessons  given  to  the  older  children.  Maria  Eddy  was  a  school- 
ma'am  of  reputation.  She  had  a  two-story  school-house  on 
Charles  Field  Street,  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden  beliind  the 
Eddy  house  which  her  family  owned.  We  were  her  pupils 
while  we  lived  in  Providence. 

Our  education  was  considered  most  important  by  father, 
who  took  a  share  in  training  us.  One  of  the  first  lessons  he 
gave  us  was  the  lesson  of  getting  down  to  hard  work  and 
doing  the  work  thoroughly.  Over  and  over  again  he  told  us 
that  if  we  could  not  learn  to  enjoy  the  work  which  lay  before 
us,  we  should  lead  unhappy  lives.  He  enjoined  on  us  hon- 
esty, econoui}^  and  fair  dealing.  The  use,  and  not  the  abuse, 
of  money  was  the  subject  of  many  a  talk.  He  often  declared 
that  the  property  which  a  man  owned  was  not  his  exclusive 
possession,  but  was  held  by  him  in  trust,  primarily  for  the 
benefit  of  his  family,  and  then  for  judicious  sharing  with  his 
neighbors  and  fellow-citizens.  So  strongly  was  he  impressed 
with  the  idea  of  fair  dealing,  and  so  anxious  to  treat  his 
children  with  absolute  impartiality,  that  he  kept  a  financial 
account  with  those  who  were  grown  up.  To  all  of  his  sons, 
while  they  were  minors,  were  given  a  liberal  support  and  a 
high-school  education.     But  after  a  child  had  come  of  age, 


222  FAMILY   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE. 

if  he  lived  at  home  —  some  went  away  —  he  was  charged  a 
nominal  sum  for  board,  lodging  and  washing.  Three  of  his 
sons  went  to  college,  while  the  others  were  graduated  from 
the  high  schools  into  business  life.  The  three  collegians  were 
charged  amounts  equivalent  to  the  calculated  excess  of  money 
spent  on  them,  over  what  had  been  expended  for  their  brothers. 
The  sums  thus  charged  against  certain  of  his  children  were 
not  demanded  back  by  father  during  his  life,  but,  in  accord- 
ance with  his  directions,  were  settled  at  the  division  of  his 
estate. 

This  practice  of  impartial  justice  father  carried  into  all  his 
business  dealings.  The  mercantile  success  which  he  acliieved 
was  obtained,  not  by  driving  sharp  bargains,  but  by  accurately 
gauging  present  situations  and  correctly  forecasting  future  con- 
ditions. He  never  speculated.  His  business  reputation  was 
that  of  a  cautious  man  with  unusual  powers  of  insight  and 
foresight.  Those  who  dealt  with  him  held  him  in  high 
esteem  for  fairness,  liberality  and  ability. 

During  liis  long  subsequent  career  as  bank  president,  he 
held  to  his  principles  of  right  and  justice.  An  officer  of  a 
stock-company,  he  asserted,  was  the  paid  servant  of  the  stock- 
holders, and  owed  liis  best  efforts  to  his  employers.  It  was 
his  bounden  duty  to  use  for  the  sole  benefit  of  the  members 
of  the  corporation  all  opportunities  for  gain  which  came  to 
him  as  a  corporation-officer;  in  such  gains  he  could  participate 
only  as  one  of  the  shareowners.  A  man  of  such  ideas  can 
hardly  become  excessively  rich.  He  never  was  wealthy,  al- 
though he  had  the  reputation  of  possessing  a  large  fortune 
because  of  the  many  chances  for  profit  which  naturall}'  were 
offered  to  a  person  in  his  position,  and  which,  after  the  Civil 
War,  were  usually  seized  by  other  corporation-officers  for 
their  personal  advantage ;  because  also  of  his  many  generous 
deeds.  He  was  merely  a  well-to-do  man.  He  had  no  ambi- 
tion to  excel  in  the  accumulation  of  cash,  despite  a  personal 
experience  which  had  taught  him  to  appreciate  the  value  of 


FAMILY   LIFE   IN   PROVIDENCE.  223 

money.  The  words  of  Agur,  the  son  of  Jakeh,  were  his 
words:  "Give  me  neither  iioverty  nor  riches."  Those  who 
were  born  witli  silver  spoons  in  their  mouths,  he  declared, 
were  always  badly  handicapped  by  the  spoons  in  the  race  for 
life  and  happiness. 

He  had  due  respect  for  wealth  fairly  gained  and  righteously 

administered,  but  for  a  mere  money-grubbei-  he  had  only  pity. 

"  Mr.  X.  died  this  day,"  is  the  brief  comment  in  his  Journal 

on  the  death  of  a  certain  individual,  "  known  only  as  a  very 

rich  man."     For  wealth  acquired  dishonestly,  he  had  a  fine 

contempt.     A  former  acquaintance,  who  had  gone  West  and 

started  a  bank,  made  a  fortune  by  an  iniquitous  failure  which 

ruined  many  others.     Some   years  later  the  ex-banker  came 

East,  making  parade  of  his  money.     Meeting  father  on  the 

street,  he  advanced  with  a  smile  and  an  out-stretched  hand, 

saying,   "How  do  you   do,   Colonel?     Rejoiced  to  see  yoii 

again  after  all   these  years.     Just  coming  to   call  on  you." 

"You  have  the  advantage  of  me,  Sir,"  was  the  cool  reply. 

"  What,  don't  you  remember  your  old  friend  S.  ?  "     "  My  old 

friend  S.  died  two  years  ago"  said  the  Colonel,  passing  on. 

My  father  always  attended  church  regularly  on  Sunday, 
but  just  where  he  went  during  Ms  bachelor  days  in  Provi- 
dence, he  omitted  to  record.  After  he  was  married,  he  took 
seats  in  the  First  Congregational  Church,  of  which  Rev. 
Henry  Edes*  was  then  the  minister.  When  Mr.  Edes  re- 
signed his  pastorate,  father  went  to  the  Westminster  Con- 
gregational  Church,  whose  minister  was    Rev.  Frederick  A. 


*Rev.  Dr.  Edes,  aged  72,  — oue  paper  gives  his  age  as  74  — died  sud- 
denly in  Worcester,  Mass.,  on  the  25th  inst.  His  funeral  was  in  Suffolk 
Street,  Boston,  to-day.  I  was  the  only  one  of  his  Providence  parish- 
ioners present.  He  was  minister  of  the  First  Congregational  Church 
m  Providence  from  1805  to  1832.  He  performed  the  marriage  ceremony 
for  me  in  1827,  and  he  christened  my  sou  Danforth  in  1832,  his  last  offi- 
cial act  for  anyone  of  his  Society.     [Journal,  Feb.  27,  1S51.'] 


224  FAMILY    LIFE   IX    PROVIDENCE. 

Farley.  In  1833  he  returned  to  the  First  Congregationiil 
Church,  where  Rev.  !Mr.  Hall*  had  been  installed.  Here  he 
staid  during  liis  residence  in  Providence,  a  part  of  the  time 
being  a  member  of  the  choir. 

When  father  began  housekeeping,  the  fuel  used  in  his 
household  consisted  of  wood,  charcoal  and  some  hard  coal,  but 
the  hard  coal  was  not  employed  for  cooking  until  April,  1838. 
Then  wood  was  discarded,  except  in  very  small  amounts :  but 
charcoal  continued  to  be  used  for  cooking  certain  articles  and 
for  lighting  the  hard  coal.  The  annual  cost  of  fuel  in  the 
household,  from  1830  to  1838,  varied  from  #85  to  '#196,  and 
averaged  -1137.  From  1838  to  1844,  the  average  yearly  ex- 
pense was  :  hard  coal,  1119.60  ;  charcoal,  -130.90  ;  wood,  -16.94  ; 
total,  -$157.44  :  anthracite  costing  from  -19.121  to  $6.25  per 
ton,  charcoal  about  29  cents  per  bushel,  and  wood  about  -$7.50 
per  cord. 

Candles,  whale  oil,  sperm  oil  and  lard  oil  were  used  for 
lights.  We  had  some  very  pretty  iron  and  bronze  candelabra 
with  pendant  prismatic  crystals.  In  the  homes  of  the  wealthy, 
very  beautiful  glass  chandeliers  were  to  be  seen.  There  was 
no  illuminating  gas  in  Providence  at  this  time.  Its  manufac- 
ture and  supply  began  in  December,  1848. 

The  total  household  expenses  from  1828  to  1846,  during 
which  period  the  family  increased  in  number  from  two  to 
seven,  ranged  from  -$535.54  to  $2,272.95,  and  averaged 
$1,525.64  per  year.f 

There  were  many  colored  people  resident  in  Providence, 
and  these  were  very  generally  employed  as  house  servants. 


*Eev.  Edward  Brooks  Hall  died  in  Providence  at  5  P.  M.,  in  the  34tli 
year  of  his  ministry.  He  was  born  in  Medford,  Mass.,  Sept.  2,  1800,  and 
was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1820.  I  attended  his  church  in  Providence 
from  1833  until  1846,  and  was  much  attached  to  him.  He  was  a  real 
Christian  and  a  very  useful  citizen.     [Journal,  March  3,  1S6G.] 

t  See  Appendix  IV. 


FAI\IILY   LIFE   IN    PROVIDENCE.  225 

As  a  rule  the}"  were  excellent  in  this  capacity,  being  neat, 
willing,  respectable  in  manners  and  appearance,  and  kind  and 
affectionate  to  the  children.  They  usually  were  good  cooks. 
Some  of  them  must  have  been  escaped  slaves.  At  least,  in 
language,  pronunciation  and  other  particulars  they  differed 
from  what  was  customary  at  the  North.  In  the  evening, 
after  all  the  work  was  finished  and  the  kitchen  had  been  put 
in  apple-pie  order,  Sarah  Warfield  always  smoked  a  black 
clay  pipe  with  the  greatest  apparent  enjoyment.  We  children 
never  quite  understood  how  this  infringement  of  the  house- 
hold rules  was  allowed.  Sarah  could  make  the  most  delicious 
dainty  that  ever  passed  a  child's  lips,  —  rye-and-Indian  pan- 
cakes. These  were  a  composition  of  ryemeal  and  Indian- 
cornmeal,  dropped  from  a  spoon  into  boiling  fat,  and  emerging 
thence,  dry,  crisp  and  beautifully  browned,  in  globular  forms 
with  little  tails,  in  shape  like  the  Prince  Ruj)ert's  drops  famil- 
iar to  children  of  that  day,  only  of  course  much  larger. 

Wages  of  house  servants,  during  the  period  in  question, 
rose  gradually  from  about  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar  and  a  half  per 
week.  In  our  family,  while  at  Providence,  only  one  servant 
ever  received  two  dollars  a  week,  and  that  was  a  colored  cook 
of  exceptional  ability. 


SIX   CHANGING   YEARS. 


'he  following  notices  appeared  in  the  Providence 
Journal  and  the  Boston  Atlas.  The  editorial  no- 
tice, fourth  in  order  (labelled  by  father  "a  puff," 
and  pasted  in  his  scrap  book  with  the  others), 
was  written  by  liis  friend  Henry  B.  Anthony,  who  was  then 
editor  of  the  Providence  Journal,  and  later  was  United  States 
Senator  from  Rhode  Island  for  many  years. 


NOTICE — The  copartnership  heretofore  existing  under 
_  the  firm  of  Stimson  &  Hodges,  is  by  mutual  consent 
dissolved,  and  John  J.  Stimson  is  duly  authorized  to  close 
up  the  business.  JOHN  J.  STIMSON, 

Feb.  1%,  1845.  ALMON  D.  HODGES 

Almon  D.  Hodges  respectfully  gives  notice  to  his  friends 
and  the  public  that  he  has  formed  a  business  connection  in 
Boston,  vcith  Messrs  Emmons  &  Weld,  31  South  Market  St. 
where  they  will  continue  the  wholesale  Grocery  and  Com- 
mission business  in  the  name  and  firm  of  Hodges,  Emmons 
&  Weld.  f  19 


PPPARTNERSHIP  NOTICE.    EMMONS  & 

v_/     WELD   have  taken  into  Copartnership  ALMON   D. 
HODGES,(lateof  the  firm  of  Stimson  &  Hodges,  of  Providence,)  and 
their  business  will  be  continued  at  No.  31  South  Market  street,  un- 
der the  name  and  firm  of  HODGES,  EMMONS  &  WELD. 
Feb.  17,  1845.  Iawis2m§-F20 


NOTICE.    The  Copartnership  heretofore 
existing  under  the  tirm  and  name  of  HODGES,  EM- 
MONS &  WELD,  is  this  day,  by  mutual  consent,  dissolved. 

HODGES  &  EMMONS  being  duly  authorised  to  settle  the  affairs 
of  the  late  firm.  "         ALMON  D.  HODGES, 

JOHN  L.  EMMONS, 
May  15,  1840.  JOHN  D.  WELD. 

The  undersigned  will  continue  the  Wholesale  Grocery  and  Com- 
mission business,  under  the  firm  of  HODGES  &  EMMON.'^,  at  No. 
31  &  32  South  Market  street.  ALMON  D.  HODGES, 

JOHN  L.  EMMONS. 

May  15, 184G.  3t 

(  22(5  ) 


SIX   CHANGING   YEARS.  227 

Our  advertising  columns  have  already  noticed 
the  dissolution  of  the  copartnership  of  Stimson  & 
Hodges,  the  oldest  mercantile  house  in  the  city, 
we  believe,  with  one  exception,  that  has  remained 
without  any  change  in  the  number  or  names  of 
its  partners.  Col.  Hodges  goes  to  Boston  in  the 
house  of  Hodges,  Emmons  &  Weld,  and  carries 
with  him  the  good  wishes  of  troops  of  friends  in 
Providence.  As  a  member  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly, and  as  commander  of  the  Horse  Guards,  he 
has  rendered  his  fellow  citizens  good  service,  and 
has  secured  their  respect  and  confidence.  We 
might  take  this  occasion  to  complain  of  the  unfair 
temptation  to  which  Col.  Hodges  exposed  our 
temperance  principles  under  pretence  of  a  parting 
gift;  but  we  never  lay  up  such  things. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1844,  father  made  tliis  entry  in  his 
Journal : 

The  last  year  has  been  one  of  unusual  prosperity  in  New  Eng- 
land. Although  our  own  business  has  [not]  been  equal  to  what 
it  usually  is,  there  has  been  a  great  deal  to  be  grateful  for ;  and 
it  is  our  duty  to  offer  our  most  devout  thanks  to  that  Great  Spirit, 
the  source  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift,  for  the  many  blessings 
He  has  showered  upon  us. 

During  the  year  which  had  closed,  the  members  of  the  house 
of  Stimson  &  Hodges  had  discussed  the  subject  of  terminating 
their  long  business  connection.  There  had  been  quite  a 
falling  off  in  their  trade.  Mr.  Stimson  had  become  inter- 
ested in  various  other  profitable  enterprises  which  absorbed 
a  large  share  of  his  time.  His  partner  was  much  inclined  to 
an  exclusively  wholesale  business,  and  had  been  urged  by 
liis  old  friend,  John  L.  Emmons,  to  join  the  prosperous  whole- 
sale firm  in  Boston  of  which  Mr.  Emmons  was  a  member. 

In  February,  1845,  the  firm  of  Stimson  &  Hodges  was  dis- 
solved, not  without  regrets,  by  the  retirement  of  Almon  D. 
Hodges,  being  succeeded  by  the  firm  of  Stimson  &  Paige. 
Mr.  Stimson  soon  retiring,  George  Paige  —  who  had  been  con- 
nected with  Stimson  &  Hodges  —  and  his  brother,  Frederick 


228  SIX   CHANGING  YEARS. 

A.  Paige,  continued  the  business  "at  the  old  stand"  with  the 
style  of  G.  &  F.  A.  Paige. 

My  father,  on  leaving  his  old  firm,  at  once  formed  a  co- 
partnersliip  in  Boston  with  Emmons  &  Weld,  under  the  name 
of  Hodges,  Emmons  &  Weld,  the  members  being  Almon  D. 
Hodges,  John  L.  Emmons  and  John  D.  Weld.  In  the  Boston 
Almanac  the  firm  was  listed  under  the  head  of  West  India 
Goods  and  Groceries,  wholesale.  The  next  year  (1846)  INIr. 
Weld  retired  and  the  firm  was  Hodges  &  Emmons.  The 
place  was  at  31  and  32  South  Market  Street,  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  Cradle  of  Liberty. 

The  house  of  Hodges  &  Emmons  continued  in  active  and 
prosperous  business  during  four  years.  Then  father  retired 
in  order  to  take  the  presidency  of  the  Washington  Bank. 
The  main  reason  of  tliis  change  was  his  early  perception  of 
the  signs  of  financial  troubles  which  culminated  in  1857.  An 
era  of  speculation  and  extravagance  was  beginning,  and  many 
merchants,  in  his  opinion,  were  unduly  expanding  their  opera- 
tions and  incurring  dangerous  risks.  The  money  market,  gen- 
erally tight,  was  becoming  subject  to  great  fluctuations.  His 
Journal  contains  frequent  mention  of  the  state  of  affairs :  — 
"  The  money  market  has  been  very  stringent  the  last  week  and 
]noney  on  State  Street  has  commanded  1  to  1|-  per  cent,  per 
month."  "  Money  becomes  abundant  at  6  per  cent,  having 
averaged  from  9  to  18  per  cent,  per  annum  since  October, 
1847,  a  period  of  over  four  years."  "  A  very  hard  day  in  State 
Street  —  quite  a  panic.  ]Money  worth  again  12  per  cent,  per 
annum."  "  Mone}^  has  been  very  dear  the  last  fortnight.  A 
very  hard  time  for  the  merchants.  Kates,  from  12  to  18  per 
cent."  "  The  last  ten  days  have  been  the  hardest  in  the 
money  market  since  1837.  Rates,  15  to  24  per  cent."  "The 
contraction  of  the  banks  has  continued  throughout  the  week. 
The  Grocers'  Bank  has  had  to  have  help  to  keep  it  from 
failing."  Week  by  week  he  thus  noted  the  course  of  the 
money  market,  mentioned  the  prominent  failures  throughout 


SIX   CHANGING   YEARS.  229 

the  United  States  —  which  began  to  occur  long  before  the 
final  catastrophe  —  and  expressed  his  uneasiness  concerning 
the  iinancial  situation.  Yet  he  believed,  as  he  wrote  in  the 
period  of  greatest  darkness,  "the  country  is  full  of  every  tiling- 
needed  to  support  life  and  make  every  man,  woman  and  child 
comfortable,  provided  there  be  proper  means  of  distribution. 
In  the  system  of  God's  providence  it  would  seem  that  things 
are  properly  arranged,  but  that  wickedness,  extravagance  and 
other  sins  cannot  long  exist  without  just  punishment.'"  *  He 
had  many  earnest  talks  with  his  intimate  friend,  .Moses 
Williams,  whose  views  were  similar  to  his  own. 

Doubtless  liis  decision  to  retire  from  business  was  hastened 
by  the  death  of  his  dear  wife,  which  occurred  in  August, 
1849.  Furthermore  Mr.  Aaron  Baldwin  resigned  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Washington  Bank  in  1850,  and  Moses  Williams, 
who  was  an  influential  director  of  this  bank,  was  very  anxious 
to  secure  in  Mr.  Baldwin's  place  a  man  of  undoubted  ability. 
Through  Mr.  Williams's  influence,  principally,  the  presidency 
was  offered  to,  and  accepted  by,  my  father,  who  thus  recorded 
the  result  in  his  Journal :  — 

1850,  Nov.  a.  I  was  elected  unanimousi}'  a  director,  and  then 
President,  of  the  Washington  Bank  (State  Street),  My  elec- 
tion to  this  oftice  was  very  gratifying  to  my  feelings.  I  made 
a  short  address  on  taking  the  chair.  The  directors  chosen  were : 
Almon  D.  Hodges  (in  place  of  Aaron  Baldwin,  who  declined  a  re- 
election), Francis  Bacon,  Josiah  P.  Cooke,  George  D.  Dutton,  John 
L.  Emmons,  Parker  Fowle,  George  T.  Lyman,  William  Lincoln, 
Flavel  Moseley,  Josiah  Stedman,  Alanson  Tucker,  Jr.,  and  INIoses 
Williams.  Other  officers  were :  D.  A.  Sigourney,  cashier  ;  James 
H.  Champney,  book-keeper ;  Charles  P.  Putnam,  teller,  and  James 
W.  Cashing,  messenger. 

So  long  as  the  family  remained  in  Providence,  it  was  neces- 
sary for  my  father  to  make  semi-weekly  journeys  between  the 

*  Journal,  January  1,  1S5S. 


230 


SIX   CHANGING  YEARS. 


Phillipj 
''/^  Beach. 
Cove. 

ledBoci.    OCEAN 


two  cities.  As  a  rule  he  passed  Sundays  and  Mondays  at  his 
home,  and  the  rest  of  the  week  in  Boston.  A  yearly  ticket 
on  the  Boston  and  Providence  Railroad,  with  the  privilege  of 

two  trips  a  week,  cost 
at  first  (in  1845)  one 
hundred  dollars,  l)ut  the 
price  was  reduced  soon 
after  to  seventy-five  dol- 
lars. 

In  June,  1846,  the 
house  in  Providence* 
was  rented  to  Philip 
Allen,  Jr.,  and  on  July 
2  the  family  moved  to 
Swampscott,  Massachu- 
setts, —  a  lovely  sea- 
shore resort  within  a 
convenient  railroad  dis- 
tance from  Boston,  — 
and  "  anchored  at  Mr. 
Ansel  F.  Nesbit's,"  who 
jj^^^JI  kept  a  first-class  house 
and  charged  first-class 
prices,  for  the  times,  — 
each     per 


^r^x'^  five    dollars 


(1 

EASTERN  RAILROAD,  BETWEEN  BOSTON  AND  SWAMPSCOTT,  1846. 


week  for  the  adults  of 
the  family,  and  two  or 
three  dollars  for  the 
small  children  and  for 
the  maid. 


*  1851,  Jany.  27  and  Feb.  5.  Sold  my  house  ou  Benevoloat  Street, 
Providence,  to  Dr.  Abraham  H.  Okie  [a  noted  homeopathic  physician] 
for  ■'S!l5,000.  I  could  not  help  feeling  a  shade  of  melancholy  at  parting 
with  a  place  which  I  had  taken  so  much  pleasure  in  fitting  up,  and 
which  had  been  a  source  of  great  enjoyment.     [Journal  of  A.  D.  H.] 


SIX    CHANGING   YEARS.  231 

That  the  family's  change  of  position  from  little  Rhode 
Island  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Hub,  altered  the  equilibrium  of 
a  part  of  the  earth's  surface  and  caused  it  to  tip,  may  not  be 
positively  affirmed;  yet  the  record  sliows  that  on  August 
25  following,  "an  earthquake  is  felt  this  morning  about  5 
o'clock."  However,  earthquakes  have  occurred  at  other  dates 
in  New  England,  beginning  historically  on  June  1,  1638. 
The  most  noted  one  happened  on  November  18,  1755,  when 
Boston  was  so  "  dreadfully  shaken  "  that  the  grasshopper 
vane  was  thrown  down  from  the  tower  on  Faneuil  Hall,  and 
all  the  ministers  were  provided  with  a  text  for  their  sermons 
on  the  following  Sunday.  The  Journal  records,  in  addition 
to  the  shake  of  August  25,  1846,  one  on  November  28,  1852, 
at  12  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  another  on  October  20,  1870,  when 
"about  11-|  A.  M.  an  earthquake  shock  was  felt  in  Boston 
and  over  almost  all  New  England.  The  chimneys  of  the  gas- 
lights in  the  [Washington]  bank  rattled  against  the  shades. 
People  ran  out  of  the  Sears  building,  which  is  said  to  be 
cracked  in  one  or  two  places,  and  there  was  a  scattering  of 
the  occupants  from  many  other  large  buildings." 

The  family  remained  at  Swampscott  for  three  months.  On 
October  9  "  all  hands  moved  to  the  United  States  Hotel*  in 
Boston,  where  I  have  engaged  rooms  until  about  ]\Iay  1,  next, 
for  self,  wife,  Frederick,  A.  D.  Jr.  and  Frank  at  |26  per  week, 
including  fires ;  when  Townsend  and  Foster  are  with  us,  it  is 
to  be  -^6  per  week  more."  The  next  summer  was  spent  at 
Swampscott,  at  Gorham  Brackett's  boarding  house.  During 
the  winter  of  1847-48  the  family  were  again  at  the  United 
States  Hotel,  occupying  "  rooms  315,  316  and  161  at  -§26  per 
week,  fire  and  light  extra,  for  self,  wife,  xllmon  D.  Jr.,  Frank, 
and  Catherine  "  the  maid.     This  does  not  seem  an  exorbitant 

*  Ralph  W.  Holman  died  in  Newtou,  Mass.,  on  tlie  20th.  He  kept 
the  United  States  Hotel  in  Boston  when  I  and  my  family  boarded  there 
in  1S4G  and  1S47,  and  the  Winthrop  House  in  Boston  when  we  were 
there  in  1850  and  1851.     [Journal,  Nov.  24,  1371.] 


•23J  SIX   CHANGING  YEARS. 

charge  for  a  first-class  hotel,  where  the  landlord  gave  a  ball 
or  two  each  winter  to  his  guests. 

During  the  period  of  hotel  life,  father  was  searching  for 
a  new  home  in  the  vicinity  of  his  adopted  city,  and  finally 
found  a  satisfactory  place  in  Koxljury.  Boston  has  long  had 
the  most  beautiful  suburbs  of  any  city  in  the  world.  At  that 
time  Dorchester  and  lioxbur}-,  with  their  fine  estates  and 
handsome  mansions  rich  in  historical  associations,  were  the 
loveliest  of  the  city's  environs.  It  was  an  unfortunate  day 
for  these  places  when  they  were  annexed  to  the  metropolis, 
lost  their  independence  and  individuality,  and  became  insig- 
nificant members  of  one  of  those  overgrown  corporations 
which  Americans  hav^e  yet  to  learn  to  govern  properly.  Very 
likely  loss  of  beauty  would  have  resulted  gradually  through 
natural  increase  of  population,  although  Brookline,  which  has 
refused  to  unite  with  Boston,  thus  far  has  suffered  no  such 
sad  change.  But  annexation  brought  a  sudden  destruction  of 
the  attractions  of  Roxbury  and  Dorchester.  The  main  effec- 
tive argument  for  the  union  was  that  real  estate  would  rise 
in  value,  —  and  it  did,  with  a  boom.  Taxes  rose  also.  Then 
the  bottom  of  the  boom  dropped  out,  and  investors  were 
left  with  properties  on  their  hands  which  were  practically 
unsalable.  In  order  to  obtain  income  from  them,  the  large 
estates  were  cut  up  and  everywhere  cheap  houses  were 
erected.  This  settled  the  business.  Fashion  deserted  these 
places  which  grew  cheaper  and  homelier  in  appearance,  and 
cheaper  in  reality.  There  are  numerous  estates  which  cannot 
be  sold  to-day  for  the  prices  which  they  brought  sixty  years 
ago,  even  where  they  have  been  well  kept  up  and  have  been 
liberally  improved.  The  large  handsome  mansions  have  van- 
ished or  are  now  valueless ;  but  this  is  owing  in  great  measure 
to  the  disappearance  of  the  New  England  housekeeper.  The 
great  majority  of  the  American  city  women  of  the  present 
time,  anxious  to  evade  all  possible  domestic  cares,  and  desir- 
ous to  be  entertained  but  not  to  entertain,  are  content  to  live 


SIX   CHANGING  YEARS.  238 

ill  contracted  spaces  which  their  predecessors  woukl  have 
scorned.  Only  the  exceedingly  wealthy  now  have  the  floor- 
area  in  their  houses  which  was  considered  a  necessity  by  the 
ordinary  old  New  Engiander  of  any  social  pretension. 

In  the  fall  of  1847,  my  father  purchased  of  J.  Aniory 
Davis,  for  the  sum  of  nine  thousand  dollars,  the  house  and 
lot,  numbered  39,  on  St.  James  Street,  Roxbury,  and  at  once 
began  the  construction  of  a  large  addition  to  the  ell.  On 
March  18,  1848,  "we  all  moved  from  the  United  States 
Hotel  this  afternoon  to  our  house  in  Roxbury,  viz  :  self, 
Martha,  Danforth,  Townsend,  Frank,  Grace  Gardner  [the 
cook]  and  Julia  [the  maid],  it  being  just  eleven  years  to  a 
day  since  we  moved  into  our  new  house  on  Benevolent  Street, 
Providence." 

The  St.  James  Street  house,  when  the  family  took  posses- 
sion, consisted  of  a  two-story  main  building,  10  feet  by  27 
feet,  with  a  three-story  ell,  50  feet  by  15  feet.  The  spacious 
entrance  hall,  large  enough  to  contain  sofas  and  chairs,  ex- 
tended through  the  center  of  the  main  building  from  the  front 
door  to  the  circular  staircase  which  gave  access  to  the  second 
story.  (3n  the  right  hand,  or  easterly  side,  of  the  hall  was  the 
drawing  room,  extending  the  whole  depth  of  the  main  house 
and  having  windows  on  three  sides.  On  the  left  of  the  hall 
were  the  library — used  as  a  sitting  room  and  stocked  with 
the  standard  works  of  English  literature,  tlie  books  overflow- 
ing into  other  parts  of  the  house,  —  and  the  dining  room, 
which  extended  far  enough  into  the  ell  to  have  windows  on 
two  opposite  sides.  Back  of  the  dining  room  was  the  back 
entry  with  its  staircase,  and  then  the  airy  kitchen,  and  beyond 
this  a  large  laundry. 

On  the  second  floor,  above  the  drawing-room  and  of  the 
same  large  size,  was  a  bedroom,  used  cliiefly  as  a  guest-room.. 
Over  the  main  hall  was  a  similar  hall,  the  front  part  of  which 
was  partitioned  off  into  a  bedroom.  Over  the  librar}^  was 
another  bedroom,  and  over  the   dining-room  was   the  "  nur- 


234  SIX   CHANGING   YExVKS. 

seiy."'  In  the  ell,  back  of  the  niirfcjeiy  but  at  a  somewhat 
lower  level  —  owing  to  the  less  height  of  the  kitchen  and 
laundry  —  was  the  back  entry,  running  to  the  bedroom  at  the 
northerly  end  of  the  house.  This  room  was  over  the  laundry. 
Off  the  entry  were  also  the  large  bathroom,  and  a  bedroom 
called  "  the  little  hot  bedroom,"  because  it  was  over  the  kitchen 
and  was  heated  by  the  chimney  of  the  kitchen  range. 

In  the  upper  story  of  the  ell  were  two  rooms  for  the  ser- 
vants and  a  large  store-room.  Below  all  the  house  were  large 
cellars. 

Thus  this  house  contained  fourteen  rooms  for  nine  persons 
besides  the  maids :  and  nearly  all  the  rooms  were  larger  than 
is  now  usual. 

At  a  later  date  the  house  was  enlarged  to  its  present  size. 
A  two-story  ell  was  added  on  the  westerly  side,  with  a  bed- 
room on  the  upper  story  and  two  rooms  below :  one  used 
first  as  a  sitting-room,  but  later  converted  into  a  dining-room 
closet ;  the  other  was  the  kitchen  pantry.  Also  a  mansard 
roof,  with  a  cupola,  was  built  over  the  main  building,  furnish- 
ing four  additional  bedrooms  and  a  large  linen  closet.  As 
the  front-entry  bedroom  was  then  removed,  the  house  now 
contained  twenty  rooms  besides  the  linen  closet,  which  was 
Ijig  enough  for  a  bedroom. 

The  above  description  has  been  written  in  order  to  give  an 
idea  of  what  was  considered  necessary  for  a  well-to-do  Old 
New  England  family  with  Old  New  England  ideas  of  comfort 
and  hospitality. 

The  house  stood  back  from  the  street  in  a  garden  which 
measured  nearly  half  an  acre,  where  grew  grass,  flowers,  veg- 
etables, various  fruit-bearing  bushes,  trees  and  vines,  and 
some  shade  trees  and  flowering  shrubs.  In  the  ante-bellum 
days  cherries,  grapes,  pears,  peaches,  currants  (red,  wliite  and 
black)  and  gooseberries  were  grown  in  quantity  sufficient,  or 
nearly  sufficient,  in  their  season,  to  supply  the  needs  of  tlie 
family.     The  peaches  were  produced  so  abundantly  that  they 


SIX   CHANGING   YEARS.  285 

were  given  away  by  the  bushel.  Strawberries,  however,  were 
difficult  to  raise.  Corn,  beans,  peas,  squashes  and  some  other 
vegetables  made  a  very  respectable  showing.  Father  was  very 
fond  of  working  in  the  garden,  and  devoted  much  of  his  spare 
time  to  tliis  occupation.  We  young  children  were  allotted 
each  a  small  plot  which  we  were  urged  to  cultivate,  and  the 
products  of  our  toil  were  bought  by  father  at  the  highest 
market  prices.  We,  however,  failed  to  win  much  credit  as 
market-gardeners,  and  were  unable  to  maintain  a  lasting  en- 
thusiasm for  this  vocation,  despite  the  encouraging  example 
of  the  head  of  the  family.  The  only  success  achieved  by  any 
of  us  was  my  own,  and  this  was  confined  exclusively  to  the 
line  of  rhubarb.  This  sturdy  plant,  I  discovered,  would  grow 
luxuriantly  with  only  the  slightest  amount  of  attention  on  my 
part,  and  I  filled  my  whole  plot  with  it.  The  family  at 
length  rebelled  at  the  constant  appearance  of  this  wholesome 
edible  on  the  table  —  all  except  father,  who,  I  believe,  would 
have  eaten  rhubarb  tlu'ee  times  a  day  rather  than  break  his 
agreement  to  purchase  all  our  products.  I  myself  became 
so  surfeited  (although  I  concealed  the  fact)  that  I  have  never 
since  had  any  desire  for  the  dish.  Finally  my  brothers  de- 
stroyed my  plants  and  violently  ended  my  career  as  a  rhu- 
barber. 

St.  James  Street  traverses  the  northerly  edge  of  Tommy's 
Rocks  (more  politely  termed  Mount  Warren),  and  the  house 
stands  at  the  highest  point  of  tins  street,  nearly  ninety  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  lower  part  of  the  garden  is  bounded  on 
two  sides  by  perpendicular  cliffs  of  the  "pudding  stone" 
rock  whence  Rocksbury  (as  the  word  was  anciently  spelled) 
derived  its  name,  and  is  on  a  level  with  the  ridgepoles  of  the 
neighboring  houses  on  Cliff  Street.  From  the  upper  stories 
of  our  home  we  had  beautiful  views  to  the  north  and  east, — 
of  Cambridge,  Boston  and  the  harbor.  Before  new  buildings 
interfered,  we  could  see  the  forest  of  trees  in  Roxbur}- ;  the 
distant  hills  of  West  Cambridge,  now  Arlington ;  the  Back 


•236  SIX   CHANGING   YEARS. 

Bay  fields  and  marshes,  and  the  Worcester  Railroad  trains 
crossing  them ;  the  houses,  steeples  and  towers  of  Boston, 
crowned  by  the  State  House  dome ;  Dorchester  Heights  in 
South  Boston ;  and,  with  the  aid  of  a  spyglass,  the  vessels 
entering  and  leaving  the  harbor.  At  night  the  city  streets, 
marked  by  lines  of  light,  and  the  fires  blazing  intermittently 
from  the  stacks  of  the  South  Boston  Iron  "Works,  delighted 
our  childish  eyes.  On  Fourth  of  -Tul}'  night  we  could  see 
fireworks  in  all  directions,  even  the  ground  pieces  on  Boston 
Common  being  discernible.     It  was  a  lovely  situation. 

So  soon  as  father  reached  Boston  with  his  family,  he  rented 
a  pew  in  the  Brattle-street  Church,  of  wliich  Samuel  Kirkland 
Lothrop  was  pastor.  Dr.  Lothrop  was  highly  esteemed  by 
his  congregation,  I  believe,  but  the  chief  impression  which 
we  small  church-goers  received  was  caused  by  the  cannon  ball 
imbedded  in  the  front  of  the  church,  wliich  was  a  constant 
reminder  to  us  of  the  doughty  deeds  of  our  forefathers  in 
driving  the  Britisli  out  of  Boston  in  1776.  When  father 
settled  in  Roxbury  he  bought  a  pew,  No.  53,  in  the  gallery  of 
the  First  Church  of  Roxbury,  which  church  he  attended  dur- 
ing the  rest  of  his  life. 

Dr.  George  Putnam  was  one  of  the  finest  preachers  of  New 
England.  He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1826  and 
at  the  Harvard  Divinit}'  School  in  1830.  Thereupon  he  was 
installed  minister  of  the  First  Church  of  Roxbury  and  held 
his  position  until  his  death  in  1878,  for  the  last  three  years, 
owing  to  his  ill-health,  having  a  colleague.  During  nearly 
half  a  century  he  guided  his  congregation  with  a  firm  hand, 
and  without  the  slightest  friction.  His  sermons,  which  were 
prepared  carefully  and  written  out,  were  remarkable  for 
beauty  of  language,  abundance  of  ideas,  clear  thinking  and 
persuasive  reasoning,  and  he  interested  and  swayed  liis  hear- 
ers, both  old  and  young,  almost  at  will.  His  discourses  were 
not  oratorical  or  sensational,  and  dealt  chiefly  wdth  the  thoughts 
and  events  of  every-day  life ;  but  they  were  delivered  with  a 


REV.  GEORGE  PUTNAM,  D.  D. 


SIX   CHANGING   YEARS.  237 

quiet  intensity  wliicli  went  straight  to  the  mark.  He  was  no 
controversialist,  and  a  theological  argument  was  an  exceeding 
rarity ;  yet  when  occasion  demanded,  as  at  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Civil  War,  he  could  speak  emphatically.  He  might, 
perhaps,  be  summed  up  as  the  Benjamin  Franklin  of  the 
American  pulpit.  In  the  community  he  was  a  man  of  influence 
and  helpfulness;  was  a  Presidential  Elector  in  1864,  repre- 
sented Roxbury  in  the  State  legislature  in  1870  and  1871,  and 
was  a  Fellow  of  Harvard  College  for  many  years. 

In  1846  the  Mexican  War  began.  There  was  much  oppo- 
sition to  this  war  in  New  England.  "  I  fear  our  country  will 
be  called  to  a  dreadful  account  for  an  offensive  and  unjust 
war  with  Mexico,  a  war  made  without  sufficient  cause,"*  is 
the  comment  in  the  Journal.  Immediately  after  tliis  contest 
the  Presidential  election  of  1848  was  held.  There  were  three 
candidates:  General  Zachary  Taylor,  Whig;  General  Lewis 
Cass,  Democrat ;  and  ex-President  Martin  Van  Buren,  Free 
Soil.  "  I  cast  my  ballot  for  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor,  who  was 
elected,  getting  163  electors,  over  Gen.  Cass,  who  obtained 
127,  and  Martin  Van  Buren,  who  obtained  000  !  "  is  the  Jour- 
nal entry  of  November  7,  1848,  the  day  of  election.  "I  was 
not  pleased  with  the  nomination  of  General  Taylor,  preferring 
Daniel  Webster  or  John  McLean  of  Ohio  ;  but  voted  for  him 
as  against  Cass  and  a  continued  Democratic  administration." 
The  Whigs  carried  the  Massachusetts  State  election  on  No- 
vember 14,  and  on  November  23  there  was  "  a  grand  illumi- 
nation in  Roxbury  in  honor  of  the  National  and  State  Whig 
victories.  My  house  was  illuminated  for  the  first  time  since 
I  have  been  a  housekeeper." 

On  October  25,  1848,  occurred  the  Cochituate  Water  Cele- 
bration in  Boston.     Father  of  course  closed  the  store  and  was 

*  James  Kussell  Lowell,  in  the  Biglow  Papers,  wittily  and  ably  ex- 
pressed the  general  feeling  in  Xew  England.  General  Grant,  who  fought 
in  this  war,  declared,  in  his  Personal  Memoirs,  that  it  was  "one  of  the 
most  nnjust  ever  waged  by  a  stronger  against  a  weaker  nation." 


238  SIX   CHANGING   YEARS. 

on  hand,  all  the  more  interested,  perhaps,  on  account  (jf  being- 
president  of  the  Mount  Warren  Water  Company  of  Koxbury. 
There  was  a  procession,  about  five  miles  long,  which  marched 
through  the  streets  and  then  to  the  Connnon,  where  the  water 
was  turned  on  and  spouted  up  eighty  feet  in  the  fountain  on 
Frog  Pond.  The  Boston  City  (xuards  turned  out  —  they  may 
be  seen  at  the  left  of  the  accompanying  illustration  —  and  the 
Providence  Light  Infantry  participated,  "  the  Ijest  looking 
company  present."  "  It  was  a  great  day  for  Boston,  and 
everybody  api:)eared  happy." 

In  1848  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  world  and  caused  intense  excitement.  The 
adventurous  spirits  of  all  classes  thronged  thither,  and  a 
strange  mixture  of  the  good  and  the  bad  was  collected  on 
the  Pacific  coast.  Among  those  attacked  by  the  gold  fever 
was  William  H.  Townsend  of  Providence,  who  had  married 
Martha  Comstock's  sister.  His  experience,  which  was  that 
of  many  another  Californian  Argonaut,  is  narrated  in  the  fol- 
lowing letter :  — 

San  Fkancisco,  Oct.  12,  1849. 

There  are  people  here,  waiters  in  eating  houses,  laborers  on  the 
beach  and  elsewhere  about  town,  drivers  of  carts,  sellers  of  ginger- 
bread, billiard-game  markers,  bar  tenders,  keepers  of  restaurants, 
&c.,  &c.,  who,  when  at  home,  would  never  have  been  caught  in 
such  occupations ;  but  something  they  must  do,  for  here  no  man 
can  live  "  standing  all  the  day  idle."  I  arrived  here  on  the  first 
of  June  last.  I  was  connected  with  two  young  men,  and  our  in- 
tentions were  to  hang  together,  go  to  the  mines  and  continue  there 
until  we  liad  "  dug "  enough  to  make  ourselves  comfortal)le  for 
life.  We  started  from  this  i>lace  on  the  29th  of  June  in  a  little 
schooner  (the  Favorite,  Capt.  Whelden,  who  came  from  New 
Bedford  round  the  Horn)  and  reached  her  destination,  Stockton, 
[on  the  San  Joaquin  river]  tlie  third  morning  afterwards,  having 
encountered  millions  of  the  worst  kind  of  mosquitos.  The  last 
night,  as  we  laid  alongside  of  the  bank  of  the  river,  tied  up  to  the 


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SIX   CHANGING   YEARS.  239 

rushes,  so  annoying  were  these  animals  that  none  of  us  eouki 
sleep.  They  are  al)Out  three  times  as  large  as  our  biggest  JoJin- 
ston  /Spoonbills,  and  will  go  through  anything,  —  clothes,  boots, 
blankets  or  anything  else.  I  enveloi)ed  myself  completely  in  a 
large  blanket,  and  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  a  dozen,  more  or 
less,  were  putting  it  tome  strong  in  my  face  and  hands.  Some 
passengers  crawled  into  barrels  and  covered  themselves  com- 
pletely, and  yet  in  a  little  while  were  ol)liged  to  evacuate  and 
leave  the  enemy  in  possession.  This  discomfort,  thought  I,  is  the 
beginning  of  the  ordeal  we  must  undergo  before  we  can  make  our 
fortunes !  So  we  stood  it  bravely.  We  took  our  coffee  in  the 
morning,  helped  haul  the  vessel  up  stream,  as  there  was  no  wind, 
and  arrived  at  Stockton  at  9  A.  M.,  July  2. 

Here  we  fell  in  with  the  Providence  mining  company,  among 
whom  were  Gol.  B.  of  the  Light  Infantry,  and  Doct.  F.  We  soon 
ascertained  there  was  no  chance  to  get  away  from  the  place  the 
same  day,  therefore  packed  our  tent  and  other  traps  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  landing,  pitched  the  tent  and  in  a  couple  of  hours 
were  "  tent  keeping  "  in  good  style. 

On  the  glorious  Fourth  we  dined  with  the  aforesaid  company  on 
pork  and  beans,  not  to  mention  the  doughnuts  made  by  the  Doc- 
tor, who,  by-the-by,  is  an  excellent  cook.  There  was  also  a  public 
dinner  got  up  by  the  "  citizens  "  at  one  of  the  "  hotels  "  (a  frame 
with  cotton-cloth  covering),  but  even  the  reduction  of  the  price 
of  a  ticket  to  two  ounces  of  gold  (32  dollars)  was  not  a  sufficient 
inducement  for  us  to  join  the  patriotic  few.  After  dinner  the 
Doctor,  the  Colonel  and  I  had  a  walk  of  a  mile  or  two  to  a  rancho 
(farm-house)  and  })artook  of  some  fresh  milk  at  50  cents  a  pint. 
As  it  was  our  national  jubilee,  we  thought  it  would  do  to  indulge 
in  some  kind  of  luxury.  After  our  return,  took  tea,  and  in  the 
evening  had  a  look  at  the  moon,  instead  of  firew^orks. 

Stockton  is  very  pleasantly  located  on  a  little  creek  at  the  head 
of  navigable  waters  of  the  San  Joaquin  1  liver.  It  is  situated  on  a 
plain  and  the  climate  is  very  fine ;  but  the  place  is  liable  to  inun- 
dations in  the  winter  and  spring.  The  town  at  this  time  is  com- 
posed of  some  fifty  tents  of  different  sizes  and  kinds,  and  there  is 
only  one  frame  building  in  the  place,  and  yet  house-lots  are 
worth,  in  very  central  positions,  S3000. 


240  SIX   CHANGING  YEARS. 

Our  company  made  a  bargain  with  a  Mexican  with  ox-teams  to 
cany  us  to  the  diggings  on  the  Tuohirane  River  at  the  mouth  of 
Wood  Creek.  After  a  tedious  journey  we  arrived,  pitched  our 
tent  and  put  things  in  order.  On  the  latter  pai't  of  the  day  after 
our  arrival,  took  a  stroll  up  the  creek  and  selected  a  place  to  com- 
mence digging.  The  next  morning  went  at  it  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  close  to  the  water,  and  worked  until  10  A.  M.,  when  the  heat 
was  so  great,  without  a  breath  of  air,  that  Ave  knocked  off,  having 
gathered  (three  of  us)  a  half  ounce  of  gold  only.  We  continued 
at  this  place  about  four  days  and  gathered  only  ^39  worth.  This 
being  j^oor  pay,  we  tried  other  places,  without  any  better  success. 
The  river  was  too  high  to  work  on  its  banks,  and  Ave  were  desir- 
ous to  cross  it  and  try  the  gullies  on  the  other  side.  A  ferry  is 
already  established  and  the  price  for  crossing  is  ^1,  which  made 
•§2  going  and  coming.  We  tried  this  a  day  or  two,  and  not  get- 
ting gold  enough  to  pay  expenses,  endeavored  to  make  a  contract 
with  the  ferryman  for  a  whole  party  (16  of  us)  at  reduced  prices. 
He  Avould  not  do  it,  therefore  we  resolved  to  build  a  canoe  of  our 
own.  A  i^arty  Avas  delegated  for  this  purpose,  a  pine  tree  of  three 
or  four  feet  in  diameter  Avas  felled  and  tAventy  feet  of  the  butt 
rolled  to  our  tent  grounds,  and  in  four  days  we  had  a  ferry  boat 
.and  put  it  afloat,  reducing  the  fare  to  50  cents.  Our  party  had 
the  use  of  her,  and  it  brought  an  income  of  120  to  130  daily,  we 
taking  turns  as  ferrymen. 

We  did  but  little  better  in  digging,  however.  The  most  I  took 
in  one  day  Avas  three-quarters  of  an  ounce,  travelling  on  the  rocks 
and  precipices,  a  mile  each  Avay,  twice  a  day.  Our  whole  receijjts 
Avere  small  and  the  work  hard,  —  picking,  shovelling,  boiling  water 
to  wash  Avith,  and  then  "  pan-Avashing,"  a  very  back-aching  ojjera- 
tion.  My  associates  about  this  time  became  discouraged  by  our 
small  doings  and  left  me,  to  return  to  San  Francisco.  I  tarried 
about  a  month  alone,  doing  a  little  noAV  and  then,  but  I  soon  found 
that  a  lone  person  could  accomplish  nothing,  and  I  did  not  tind 
any  Avith  whom  to  form  new  associations,  Avho  Avere  to  my  liking. 
I  conclu<led  to  abandon  mining,  and  back  to  San  Francisco  I 
came. 

Almost  all  of  the  companies  break  up  after  their  arrival  here 
and  divide  into  small  squads,  —  for  some  Avork  a  little  harder  than 


SIX   CHANGING   YEARS.  241 

the  others,  some  don't  eat  one  kind  of  food  and  don't  want  to  pay 
for  what  they  don't  eat,  and  other  like  difficulties.  Some  want  to 
do  one  thing  and  some  another.  Thus  almost  all  associations  dis- 
agree and  dissolve.  Yours  very  truly, 

W.    If.    TOWXSEND. 

For  a  year  and  a  half  peace  and  happiness  reigned  in  the 
Roxbury  home.  Then  death  suddenly  entered  the  doors  and 
struck  quickly  five  terrible  blows. 

In  the  year  1841  an  epidemic  of  cholera  broke  out  in 
India,  —  that  breeding-place  of  destruction  for  the  world. 
It  spread  slowly  and  surely  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  and 
in  1847  had  extended  through  Persia  and  Afghanistan  into 
Southern  Russia,  whence  it  was  carried  over  the  rest  of 
Europe.  In  the  latter  part  of  1848  it  was  introduced  by 
emigrants  from  Europe  into  New  Orleans,  and  in  1849  made 
such  dreadful  ravages  in  the  United  States  that  President 
Taylor  issued  a  proclamation,  recommending  that  the  people 
observe  Friday,  August  3,  as  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation  and 
prayer. 

In  the  evening  of  August  18,  1849,  Grace  Gardner,  the 
colored  cook,  who  had  been  a  long  time  with  the  family, 
serving  with  loving  faithfulness,  fell  sick  with  the  terrible 
disease  and  died  in  twelve  hours.  There  was  grief  at  her 
loss,  especially  on  the  part  of  the  younger  cliildren,  who  re- 
garded her  as  a  friend.  There  was  alarm,  and  relatives  hur- 
ried up  from  Providence ;  but  the  precautions  prescribed  by 
the  doctors  were  taken,  and  the  alarm  soon  subsided. 

Ten  days  later,  on  August  29,  another  deadly  blow  was 
struck.  A  half  hour  after  midnight,  mother  awoke  in  great 
distress.  She  had  retired  apparently  in  excellent  health,  but 
her  symptoms  were  at  once  recognized  by  father,  who,  within 
tliirty  minutes,  had  brought  to  the  house  Dr.  Charles  M. 
Windship  of  Roxbury.  He,  seeing  the  seiiousness  of  the 
attack,  while   doing  all   in  his  power,  called  for  assistance  ; 


24-2  SIX   CHANGING   YEARS. 

and  father  rushed  into  Boston  for  our  family  physician,  Dr. 
Marshall  S.  Perry,  who  arrived  at  five  o'clock.  But  the  case 
was  now  hopeless.  "  I  saw  then  that  I  must  part  with  the 
wife  of  my  youth,  the  dear  partner  of  my  joys  and  my  sorrows. 
She  asked  me  to  pray  for  lier.  I  made  an  attempt,  but  my 
utterance  was  choked.  I  did  pray  mentally,  but  anguish  pre- 
vented my  speaking  the  words  aloud.  She  too  seemed  to  feel 
more  than  she  could  utter,  and  to  know  that  the  time  had 
come  when  she  must  part  from  me  and  our  dear  children." 
She  asked  for  her  first-born  son,  who  had  always  seemed  to 
be  especially  near  her  lieart ;  when  he  came  she  smiled  on 
liim,  being  unable  to  speak.  Then  her  other  children  were 
brought  to  her  bedside,  but  she  had  become  unconscious  and 
knew  them  not,  so  rapid  was  the  progress  of  the  disease.  In 
nine  hours  from  the  beginning  of  the  attack,  with  a  gentle 
sigh,  she  passed  quietly  into  the  unknown. 

Among  those  who  had  come  to  help  from  Providence  were 
Miss  Harriet  N.  Harding  and  Mrs.  B.  Sisson.  While  father 
and  my  older  l)rothers  were  in  Providence,  attending  mother's 
funeral,  Miss  Harding  suddenly  sickened  and  died,  on  August 
31,  before  father  could  be  called  back.  The  next  day  Mrs. 
Sisson  took  the  three  smallest  children  to  Providence  to  place 
them  with  relatives  there.  Immediately  upon  her  arrival,  she 
too  was  taken  sick,  and  in  nine  hours  her  spirit  had  fled. 
And  at  midnight,  on  September  -i,  little  Carroll,  our  baby 
brother,  «->nly  eleven  months^  old,  went  to  join  his  mother, 
being  unable  to  live  without  her.  Then  at  last  Death  stayed 
his  hand. 

The  Roxbury  home  was  broken  up  and  the  family  was 
scattered.  It  was  a  time  of  heavy  sadness  for  fathei',  sud- 
denly deprived  of  his  loving  and  lielpful  wife,  and  left  with 
six  children  whose  ages  ranged  from  three  to  eighteen  3^ears, 
and  for  whose  welfare  he  felt  a  deep  sense  of  responsibility. 
He  was  not  left,  however,  to  struggle  with  fate  unassisted. 
Undeterred    by  fears  of  the   deadly  epidemic,  relatives   and 


SIX   CHANGING   YEARS.  243 

friends,  with  true  New  England  affection  and  hospitality,  at 
once  came  forward  with  earnest  offers  of  help  and  cordial 
invitations  to  their  own  homes.  Without  waiting  to  be  asked, 
neighbors  had  entered  the  house  and  assumed  the  manage- 
ment of  the  work  which  must  be  done  at  all  times.  The 
younger  children  were  taken  to  other  houses  until  permanent 
arrangements  could  be  made.  With  tenderness  and  sym- 
pathy those  loving  acts  were  done  which  death  demands. 

The  house  on  St.  James  Street  was  closed.  Father  with 
his  two  oldest  sons,  after  a  short  stay  with  cousins,  took  rooms 
at  the  United  States  Hotel  for  the  winter.  The  two  next  sons 
were  sent  to  boarding  schools,  and  the  two  youngest  went  to 
live  with  their  grandmother  in  Providence. 


In  the  autumn  of  1850,  Jenny  Lind,  the  Swedish  nightin- 
gale, came  to  Boston,  and  father  heard  her  sing.  Her  con- 
certs created  the  wildest  enthusiasm.  The  first  ticket  for  a 
concert  in  Boston  sold  for  six  hundred  and  twenty-five  dol- 
lars. No  other  singer  in  the  country  has  ever  created  an 
equal  excitement  or  achieved  a  like  popularity.  In  the  public 
opinion  she  was  the  sweetest  singer  of  the  world.  She  re- 
mained about  two  years  in  America,  carrying  ever}-  audience 
by  storm.  On  February  5,  1852,  she  married  in  Boston  her 
pianist,  Otto  Goldschmidt,  and  soon  after  returned  to  Euro2)e. 

This  summer  father  took  a  trip  to  the  White  Mountains 
with  a  nephew.  The  route  from  Boston  was  by  rail  to  Port- 
land and  thence  b}-  coach  to  Sebago  Lake  ;  by  steamer  through 
the  lake,  Ilumrill  River  and  Brandy  Pond  to  Bridgton ;  by 
stage  to  Conway  and  thence  to  the  ]Mount  Washington  House 
at  Fabyan's.  Including  the  stops  over  night  at  Portland  and 
at  Conway,  tlie  journey  occupied  fifty-one  and  a  half  hours. 

At  seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  July  18,  "I  started  on 
horseback  for  INIount  Washington  with  a  party  of  twenty-one 
gentlemen  and  four  ladies.  While  going  up  the  mountain 
the  weather  was  very  fine  and  the  atmosj)here  was  perfectly 


244  SIX   CHANGING  YEARS. 

clear.  We  arrived  at  the  Summit  about  one  o'clock,  and 
there  the  weather  was  very  thick.  The  company,  however, 
was  pleasant.  We  had  a  collation,  and  then  started  back. 
On  the  way  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents  and  wet  us 
through  and  through.  Though  our  troop  had  a  very  woe- 
begone appearance,  we  rode  up  to  Fabyan's  singing  '  Life  is 
so  short,  come  let  us  be  gay ; '  and  the  company  at  the  hotel, 
assembled  on  the  veranda,  greeted  me  with  three  cheers." 

The  next  morning  the  party  started  on  the  return  jour- 
ney, riding  to  Gibbs's  Franconia  Notch  House,  through  the 
Notch  to  the  Flume,  and  down  Pemigewasset  Valley  to  Ply- 
mouth, where  the  cars  were  taken  to  Boston.  "  I  have  been 
absent  six  days,  have  had  a  very  pleasant  journey,  and  my 
expenses  were  thirty  dollars." 

During  the  summer  of  1850  father  made  his  headquarters 
at  Tuttle's  noted  hostelry  at  beautiful  Savin  Hill,  in  Dor- 
chester. In  the  fall  he  returned  for  a  month  to  the  United 
States  Hotel,  and  then  went  to  the  Winthrop  House,  on  the 
northeasterly  corner  of  Tremont  and  Boylston  Streets,  where 
a  new  chapter  of  his  life's  liistory  began. 


THE   WASHINGTON    BANK  OF  BOSTON 


■HE  twelfth  Boston  bank  cliartered ^ — -on  February 
25,  1825  —  by  the  Massachusetts  legislature,  was 
entitled  The  President,  Directors  and  Company 
of  the  Washington  Bank.  The  original  incor- 
porators were  Aaron  Baldwin,  Daniel  Baxter,  Thomas  Brewer, 
Josiah  P.  Cooke,  William  Dall,  Windsor  Fay,  Benjamin  V. 
French,  French  &  Weld,  Thomas  Hunting,  Josiah  Knapp, 
Jonathan  P.  Stearns,  Charles  Thacher  and  John  Thompson. 

The  capital  was  to  be  #500,000  in  gold  and  silver,  in  addi- 
tion to  such  amount  as  the  State  might  elect  to  subscribe, 
divided  into  shares  of  -flOO  each,  to  be  paid  in  quarterly  in- 
stallments. No  dividends  could  be  declared  until  the  whole 
•$500,000  were  paid  in,  which  must  have  been  done  on  or 
before  February  1,  1826.  The  capital  stock  must  be  actually 
held  by  the  original  subscribers  at  least  one  year  from  the 
date  of  the  charter ;  and  unless  the  bank  went  into  operation 
within  the  twelvemonth,  the  charter  was  to  be  null  and  void. 
The  State  reserved  the  right  at  any  time  to  subscribe  •$250,000 
in  addition  to  the  capital,  subject  to  the  ordinary  rules  pre- 
scribed by  law,  and  also  to  appoint  a  number  of  directors  in 
proportion  to  the  amount  of  its  subscription.* 

The  amount  of  bills  issued  by  the  bank  was  not  to  exceed 
50  per  cent,  more  than  the  paid-in  capital.  The  bank  was 
made  liable  to  pay,  to  any  bona-hde  holder,  the  original 
amount  of  any  bank  note  wliich,  in  the  course  of  circulation, 
might  be  altered  to  a  larger  sum,  and  also  to  pay  the  full 

*  The  State  never  exercised  any  of  the  rights. 
(245) 


246         THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

amount  of  any  of  its  notes  which  might  be  counterfeited, 
unless  such  notes  had  been  printed  or  impressed  with  the 
phite  of  the  bank. 

The  bank  was  to  pay  the  State  an  annual  tax  of  one-half  of 
one  per  cent,  on  the  amount  of  its  capital.  Whenever  the 
legislature  should  so  decide,  the  bank  was  to  loan  the  State 
any  required  sum  not  exceeding  ten  per  cent,  of  its  capital, 
and  such  sum  was  to  be  reimbursed  by  five  installments,  an- 
nually or  at  any  shorter  period  chosen  by  the  State,  at  five 
per  cent,  interest ;  but  the  State  was  not  to  be  indebted  to 
the  bank,  without  consent  of  the  latter,  for  a  larger  sum  than 
20  per  cent,  of  the  capital. 

The  bank  must  be  established  and  kept  in  Boston,  and  must 
be  located  at  some  point  south  of  the  north  side  of  Essex 
Street.  This  restriction  of  the  location  was  repealed  b}-  the 
legislature  in  1844.  The  bank,  in  the  beginning,  was  a  South 
End  institution,  most  of  its  shares  being  held  by  residents  of 
that  part  of  Boston.*  Three-fifths  of  the  capital  stock  was 
subscribed  by  the  Boylston  Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Com- 
pany, whose  president,  Aaron  Baldwin,  became  president  also 
of  the  bank,  and  eight  of  whose  directors  were  members  of 
the  first  bank  directory  of  twelve.  These  were  Aaron  Bald- 
win, Thomas  Brewer,  Charles  Davis,  Windsor  Fay,  Josiah 
Stedman,  John  Thompson,  Daniel  Weld  and  Moses  Williams. 
The  other  original  directors  were  Samuel  Bradlee,  Josiah  P. 
Cooke,  Henry  Price  and  Charles  Thacher. 

The  bank  had  a  life  of  just  seventy-seven  years  :  from  Fel)- 
ruary  25,  1825,  the  date  of  the  original  charter,  until  February 
20,  1902,  when,  in  accordance  with  the  vote  of  the  stock- 
holders, it  went  into  voluntary  liquidation.  It  became  a 
National  Bank  on  January  1,  1865,  but  this  change  made  no 
break  in  the  continuity  of  the  institution. 

*  Lists  of  the  original  stockholders  and  of  all  the  officers,  together 
with  the  dividends  paid,  the  surpluses  accumulated  and  the  highest  and 
lowest  stock  prices,  are  given  in  Appendix  VI. 


AARON    BALDWIN, 
First  President  of  the  Washington  Banl<. 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         i>47 

During  this  period  of  seventy-seven  years,  a  number  of  the 
bank  officers  served  for  unusually  long  terms. 

The  board  of  directors  consisted  of  from  five  to  twelve 
members,  at  different  dates.  There  were  47  directors  in  all, 
of  whom  Josiah  Stedman  held  office  for  43  years ;  Moses  Wil- 
liams, also  43  years  ;  Eben  Bacon,  40  years  ;  Josiah  P.  Cooke, 
36  years  ;  Francis  Bacon,  33  years  ;  Alanson  Tucker,  32  years  ; 
Almon  D.  Hodges,  28  years  ;  Aaron  Baldwin,  26  years  ;  Joseph 
W.  Balch,  24  years  ;  and  Edward  I.  Browne,  23  years. 

There  were  four  presidents  :  Aaron  Baldwin,  26  years,  1825 
to  1850;  Almon  D.  Hodges,' 28  years,  1850  to  1878  ;  Eben 
Bacon,  17  years,  1878  to  1895  ;  and  C.  Minot  Weld,  6  years, 
1896  to  1902. 

There  were  five  cashiers  :  Henry  Jacques,  6  months  in  1825  ; 
Daniel  A.  Sigourney,  28  years,  1825  to  1853  ;  Charles  A.  Put- 
nam, 9  years,  1853  to  1862 ;  William  H.  Brackett,  33  j^ears, 
1862  to  1895;  and  Francis  A.  Low,  6 1.  years,  1895  to  1902.' 
Mr.  Low's  service  as  an  officer  of  the  bank  extended  over  the 
long  period  of  46  years.  He  began  as  receiving  teller  in  1856, 
was  soon  promoted  paying  teller,  and  in  1895  was  made 
cashier.  In  addition  he  was  an  officer  of  the  Suffolk  National 
Bank,  the  successor  of  the  Washington  National  Bank,  for 
about  two  years,  making  a  term  of  continuous  service  of  48 
years.  As  paying  teller  he  achieved  a  reputation  unsurpassed 
by  any  like  bank  officer  in  Boston.  When  tlie  bank  closed, 
the  directors  voted  him  the  sum  of  twenty-five  hundred  dol- 
lars in  recognition  of  liis  excellent  services. 

There  were  five  bookkeepers  :  Joshua  Child,  8  years,  1825 
to  1832;  J.  A.  Richards,  13  years,  1833  to  1845;  James  H. 
Champney,  41  years,  1846  to  1886  ;  La  Prelate  H.  Turner,  11 
years,  1887  to  1897;  and  John  A.  Easton,  4  years,  1898  to 
1902.  James  Howe  Champney  entered  the  bank's  employ 
on  August  24,  1834,  as  messenger,  and  held  this  position  un- 
til he  was  made  bookkeeper.  For  fidelity,  efficiency  and 
amiability  his  record  was  remarkable.     It  is  affirmed  that  he 


•248         THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

consented  to  take  onlj-  one  vacation  during  his  whole  con- 
nection with  the  bank,  and  this  for  a  fortnight  only  ;  but  he 
came  back  at  the  end  of  ten  days,  declaring  that  he  could  stay 
away  no  longer.  During  his  half  century  of  service  he  was 
absent  from  his  post  only  one  working  day  per  annum  on  an 
average.  His  accounts  were  kept  with  scrupulous  neatness 
and  accuracy.  His  ledger  system  was  that  used  in  mercantile 
houses,  and  when  the  bank  finally  decided  to  adopt  the  hori- 
zontal system,  Mr.  Champney  preferred  to  resign  rather  than 
keep  the  books  in  the  new  way.  On  January  18,  1887,  he 
wrote  the  following  letter :  — 

To  the  President  and  Directors  and  Co.: 

I  liave  been  an  officer  of  this  Bank  for  more  than  fifty-two  yeai's 
and  have  always  done  my  duty  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  During 
that  time  the  Bank  has  not  sustained  any  losses  by  overdrafts. 

I  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  you  for  past  favors.  In  con- 
sequence of  ill  health  and  inability  to  do  the  work,  I  tender  my 
resignation  to  take  immediate  effect  from  this  date.  I  can  recom- 
mend Mr.  [Sanford  L.]  Treadwell  as   a  [)erson  well  qualitied  for 

the  office. 

With  much  respect  your  friend 

jA:NrES  H.  Cha.mpxey. 

On  receipt  of  this  letter  the  directors  took  the  following 
action :  — 

Whereas  JNIr.  James  H.  Chamjtney,  who  has  faithfully  served 
this  Bank  in  various  capacities  extending  over  more  than  fifty-two 
years,  being  now  in  the  80th  year  of  his  age,  has  been  compelled 
by  the  infirmities  of  age  to  resign  his  connection  with  the  Bank  ; 
it  is  hereby 

Voted:  That  his  resignation  is  accepted  with  great  regret  by 
the  Directors,  and  that  the  thanks  of  the  Board  be  extended  to 
hira  for  his  conscientious  and  faithful  services  extending  over  a 
term  of  years  almost  unequalled,  and  that  the  sum  of  -i!^50  per 
jnontli  be  paid  him  as  long  as  he  lives. 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         -249 

jMr.  Cbampney  was  the  sou  of  John  and  Lydia  (Howe) 
Charapuey,  and  was  born  in  Roxbmy,  Mass.,  December  4, 
1807.  He  died  in  Roxbury  (then  Boston)  August  29,  1889, 
about  two  and  a  half  years  after  his  resignation.  He  married 
in  Boston,  November  23,  1841,  Miss  Sarah  Elizabeth  Wells, 
and  had  one  child,  James  Wells  Champney,  who  achieved  dis- 
tinction as  an  artist,  to  the  exceeding  joy  of  liis  father. 

Henry  Kellogg  was  messenger  and  collecting  clerk  for  42 
years,  1854  to  1895,  and  was  an  excellent  officer.  Old  age 
and  poor  health  compelled  him  to  resign,  and  the  bank  pen- 
sioned him. 

Of  the  other  officers,  nearly  all  deserve  honorable  mention. 
Their  names  and  terms  of  service  are  given  in  Appendix  VI. 
One  of  them,  and  only  one,  betrayed  his  trust  and  proved  to 
be  a  defaulter  to  the  amount  of  fourteen  thousand  dollars, 
but  as  his  bondsmen  paid  ten  thousand,  the  deficit  was  only 
four  thousand  dollars.  The  greatest  good-fellowship  always 
prevailed  among  the  bank's  employees,  many  of  whom,  after 
serving  their  apprenticeship  here,  held  high  office  in  other 
financial  institutions. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders,  at  which  Aaron  Bald- 
win was  elected  president  and  Henry  Jacques  casliier,  was 
held  on  March  23,  1825,  in  the  Lafayette  Hotel  which  stood 
on  Washington  Street,  on  the  site  of  the  old  Liberty  Tree, 
nearly  opposite  the  Boylston  Market.*  Tliis  hotel  was  a 
four-story  brick  building,  erected  by  S.  Haskell  just  before 
General  Lafayette's  visit  to  our  country  in  1824,  and  was 
named  in  honor  of  "  the  Nation's  guest." 

The  whole  number  of  shares  was  subscribed  and  paid  for 
witliin  the  time  prescribed  by  the  charter.  The  bank  began 
business  at  471  Washington  Street,  in  a  building  belonging  to 
the  Boylston  Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Company,  of  which 

*  The  Boylston  Market,  since  torn  down,  was  located  on  the  south- 
westerly corner  of  Washington  and  Boylston  Streets. 


•250  THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

institution  Mr.  Baldwin  remained  president  about  eighteen 
years  while  serving  also  as  president  of  the  bank.  In  1836 
the  bank  removed  to  410  Washington  vStreet,  at  the  north- 
easterly corner  of  Beach  Street.  Here  it  occupied  a  building- 
erected  expressly  for  it,  with  a  granite  front  fashioned  in  the 
Doric  style  of  architecture.  This  at  the  time  was  considered 
quite  a  grand  edifice,  but  when  the  bank  moved  from  it,  in 
1844,  its  glor}-  waned.  It  was  occupied  for  twenty-three 
years  by  William  H.  Quigiey  as  a  second-hand  furniture 
store,  and  in  18(38  it  was  torn  down. 

In  1837  occurred  the  great  panic,  when  the  United  States 
Bank  and  the  other  banks  in  the  country  suspended  specie 
payments.  The  banks  in  New  York  City  suspended  on  May 
10,  and  the  news  of  their  action,  received  in  Boston  the  next 
day,  created  intense  excitement.  A  large  meeting  was  held 
in  Faneuil  Hall  at  which  it  was  resolved  that  self-protection 
required  the  Boston  banks  also  to  suspend,  —  otherwise  they 
would  lose  all  their  specie  —  although  many  of  them  were  in 
good  financial  condition,  and  although  some  of  the  bankers 
objected  to  this  measure,  believing  that  it  would  increase  the 
business  distress.  Accordingly,  on  May  12,  the  Washington 
Bank  and  all  the  other  Boston  banks  stopped  redeeming  their 
notes  in  specie,  whereby  they  risked  the  loss  of  their  charters. 
Immediately  thereafter  these  banks,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bank,  joined  in  an  association  for  the  purposes 
of  mutual  protection  and  supervision.  Early  in  1838  the 
opinion  began  to  prevail  that  the  situation  would  be  greatly 
improved  if  the  banks  resumed  specie  payments.  The  Massa- 
chusetts legislature  passed  an  act  which  favored  such  action, 
and  on  May  10  the  Boston  banks  resumed,  at  the  same  date 
as  the  New  York  City  banks. 

On  December  18,  1843,  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  was 
held  to  consider  the  question  of  surrendering  their  charter. 
The  dividends  that  year  had  amounted  to  only  3i  per  cent, 
and  the  stock  had  sold  at  '|80|  per  share,  the  lowest  point 


to  00 

::  > 

It  -7 

Ui  CD 

S  c 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         -251 

ever  reached.  After  repeated  voting,  the  question  was  de- 
cided in  the  negative.  Then  it  was  proposed  to  reduce  the 
capital  to  #250,000,  but  this  proposition  was  rejected.  A 
change  of  location,  however,  was  decided  to  be  advisable,  and 
the  legislature  was  petitioned  to  repeal  that  part  of  the  char- 
ter which  restricted  the  place  of  business  to  the  southern 
part  of  Boston.  The  petition  being  granted,  the  bank  moved 
to  75  State  Street,  at  the  east  corner  of  Kilby  Street,  having 
rooms  in  the  second  story.  Mr.  Baldwin  resigned  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Insurance  Company  and  gave  all  his  attention 
to  the  bank.  State  Street  was  the  centre  of  Boston  banking 
affairs,  and  after  the  removal  the  dividends  increased  and  the 
stock  improved  in  price. 

The  bank  was  not  allowed  by  the  terms  of  its  charter  to 
pay  dividends  in  1825,  but  in  1826  it  began  to  declare  semi- 
annual dividends,  on  April  1  and  October  1,  and  maintained 
these  continuously  ever  after,  with  just  one  exception.  In 
1826  the  dividends  for  the  year  amounted  to  7  per  cent.,  part 
of  which,  however,  was  earned  in  the  preceding  year.  In 
1827,  when  the  October  dividend  was  passed,  the  solitary 
exception  just  named,  the  l)ank  paid  only  3  per  cent.  In 
1829,  1837  and  1843,  the  dividends  amounted  each  year  to 
3^^-  per  cent.;  in  1830  and  IS-l-l  to  3|  percent.  These  are 
the  lowest  amounts  ever  paid.  During  Mr.  Baldwin's  presi- 
dency the  dividends  averaged  5  per  cent,  per  year. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Baldwin  decided  to  resign.  He  had  acquired 
a  competence,  was  advanced  in  years,  was  very  conservative 
in  his  ideas,  and  the  duties  of  his  office  were  beginning  to 
weigh  heavily  on  liim.  He  had  engaged  many  3-ears  in  the 
connnission  business,  and  at  one  time  had  lived  on  the  island 
of  Tobago  in  the  West  Indies.  He  was  born  in  Newton, 
Mass.,  January  18,  1783,  tlie  son  of  Enoch  and  Sybil  (Knapp) 
Baldwin.  His  father  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  served  at 
Bunker  Hill  and  elsewhere,  and  at'  the  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone of  Bunker  Hill  monument  rode  in  the  procession  as  one 


•252         THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

of  the  survivors  of  the  battle.  Aaron  Baldwin's  residence  in 
Boston,  during  a  long  period,  was  at  16  Essex  Street,  and 
here  he  died  on  P'ebruary  24,  1862.  He  married  in  Boston, 
June  18,  1809,  Betsey  Esther  Marett,  and  left  two  children: 
Aaron  Charles  Baldwin,  who  afterwards  resided  in  London, 
and  Elizabeth  Adelaide  Baldwin,  who  married  Thomas  Gush- 
ing of  Boston,  the  i^rincipal  of  the  Chauncey  Hall  School. 

On  November  6,  1850,  the  directors  elected  as  president 
Almon  D.  Hodges,  unanimously;  and  thereafter  they  re- 
elected him  year  by  year,  as  long  as  he  lived,  without  a  single 
dissenting  vote. 

My  father  had  decided  ideas  as  to  the  proper  manner  of 
conducting  a  business  institution,  and  these  he  made  plain 
to  the  directors  before  accepting  office.  On  his  election,  he 
made  a  short  address,  stating  briefly  his  opinions.  Some  of 
his  views,  which  became  familiar  to  his  sons,  may  be  men- 
tioned here. 

He  held  that  the  officers  of  a  corporation  are  the  servants 
of  the  stockholders,  to  whom  they  owe  loyal  service,  and  that 
they  are  bound  to  utilize  for  the  benefit  of  their  employers, 
not  for  their  own  personal  gain,  all  opportunities  which  come 
to  them  as  corporation  officers. 

He  believed  that  violent  fluctuations  of  value  are  detri- 
mental to  the  common  weal.  In  part,  at  least  (there  were 
other  reasons),  in  order  to  steady  as  much  as  possible  the 
price  of  the  bank  stock,  he  induced  the  directors  to  devote  a 
share  of  the  earnings  of  the  bank  to  the  accumulation  of  a 
surplus,  —  that  the  dividends  might  be  paid  regularly  and 
without  great  variation  in  amount  in  lean  years  as  well  as  in 
fat  years.  The  bank  surplus,  when  he  became  president,  was 
less  than  eight  thousand  dollars.  It  increased  gradually  in 
twenty-five  years  to  about  three  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
Meanwhile  the  capital  stock  was  increased  from  -$500,000 
to  -$750,000.  The  annual  dividends  during  his  incumbency 
averaged  nine  per  cent,  as  against  five  per  cent,  during  the 


ALMON    DANFORTH    HODGES, 

Second    President    of    the   Washington    Bank, 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         253 

previous  and  the  subsequent  life  of  the  bank.  And  yet,  while 
he  was  president,  there  were  two  great  financial  panics,  and 
four  years  of  civil  war  which  revolutionized  the  currency  and 
nearly  destroyed  the  national  credit. 

He  required  that  the  bank  officials  should  exercise  great 
courtesy  both  to  the  customers  of  the  bank  and  to  one  an- 
other. Jealousy  and  backbiting  among  the  employees  were 
an  abomination  to  liim.  It  was  his  own  custom  always,  on 
coming  into  the  bank  in  the  morning  and  leaving  it  at  the  end 
of  the  day,  to  greet  pleasantly  each  one  of  ]iis  subordinates. 
If  by  chance,  as  happened  a  few  times,  he  went  away  without 
bidding  good-bye  to  anyone,  he  was  sure  to  return  and  rectify 
the  omission. 

He  quickly  became  acquainted  with  all  who  visited  the 
bank  and  instantly  recognized  them  when  they  re-appeared. 
He  kept  informed  as  to  the  financial  standing  of  those  who 
dealt  with  the  institution  and  knew  the  status  of  the  accounts 
of  nearly  or  quite  all  the  depositors.  'He  was  familiar  with 
the  duties  of  the  employees  and  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand 
when  necessary.  On  one  occasion  Mr.  Kellogg,  the  mes- 
senger, who  had  grown  old  in  the  service,  was  absent  a  week 
on  account  of  sickness,  and  father  took  his  place  at  the  Clear- 
ing House  and  performed  Ms  duties  there,  —  probably  the 
only  instance  in  the  history  of  this  association  in  which  a 
bank  president  has  acted  as  messenger.  When  he  felt  that  it 
was  just  and  proper  that  the  cashier's  wage  should  be  in- 
creased, he  induced  the  directors  to  give  this  officer  a  salary 
equal  to  his  own. 

Bank  salaries  of  the  highest  officials,  during  the  period  in 
question,  were  low  as  compared  with  those  which  are  usual 
at  the  present  time.  The  Washington  Bank  paid  its  presi- 
dent a  stipend  of  -11,500  in  the  year  1851,  increasing  it 
gradually  until  it  amounted  to  -$4,000  in  1867,  then  raising 
it  to  $5,000  in  1897,  and  to  $5,500  in  1900.  The  directors 
served  gratuitously  until  1893,  when  they  voted  themselves 


254         THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

the  sum  of  $2.50  each  for  each  attendance  at  a  regular  meet- 
ing of  the  board. 

Father  was  cautiously  progressive  in  his  ideas.  He  kept  a 
close  watch  on  the  theories  and  practices  of  other  financial 
institutions  at  home  and  abroad,  was  always  ready  to  hear 
and  consider  suggestions  and  criticisms,  and  was  quick  to 
adopt  any  measure  so  soon  as  he  was  convinced  of  its  utility ; 
yet  he  was  not  prone  to  rash  experimentation.  Under  his 
management  the  bank  kept  fully  abreast  with  the  times,  not 
only  in  those  daily  business  methods  which  make  an  institu- 
tion popular  and  attract  and  retain  customers,  but  also  in  the 
matters  which  affect  its  welfare  as  a  component  part  of  the 
general  financial  world.  Thus  he  was  among  the  first  to  urge 
co-operation  by  moneyed  associations,  and  one  of  those  whose 
efforts  resulted  in  united  action  in  times  of  emergency  by  the 
Boston  banks ;  in  which  respect  these  banks  were  for  years 
ahead  of  the  other  banks  in  our  country. 

The  Washington  Bank  was  one  of  the  original  members  of 
the  Association  of  Banks  for  the  Suppression  of  Counterfeit- 
ing, the  first  association  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States,  so 
far  as  I  am  informed.  Through  the  efforts  of  its  promoters, 
the  Massachusetts  legislature  was  induced  to  pass  a  bill,  in 
May,  1852,  granting  annually  a  sum  not  exceeding  $2,500  to 
any  association  of  officers  of  banks  in  the  Commonwealth  for 
the  prevention  and  detection  of  counterfeiting,  the  yearly 
sum  paid  to  be  equal  to  half  the  sum  such  association  had 
expended  in  that  year  for  the  purposes  specified.  On  Febru- 
ary 9,  1853,  a  meeting  was  held  in  Boston  at  which  sixty 
banks  were  represented,  the  association  was  formed  and  fifteen 
managers  were  chosen,  five  from  the  banks  in  Boston  and  ten 
from  the  banks  outside  of  this  city.  Subsequently  the  man- 
agers chose  a  chairman,  a  secretary  and  an  executive  com- 
mittee, and  an  assessment  of  $5  on  each  $100,000  of  capital 
stock  was  laid  on  the  banks  which  joined  the  association. 
During  the  year,  99  out  of  the  136  banks  in  operation  became 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         255 

members.  Banks  in  New  England  outside  of  the  State  were 
invited  to  join,  but  only  eleven  accepted. 

For  a  long  time  it  was  an  uphill  job  to  convince  the  major- 
ity of  the  country  banks  of  the  need  of  such  an  organization, 
plain  as  was  the  necessity  to  those  who  had  studied  the 
subject ;  and  passing  strange  was  the  difficulty  encountered 
in  inducing  the  public  officials  to  co-operate  vigorously  in  the 
prosecution  and  punishment  of  the  counterfeiters,  and  in  per- 
suading the  sufferers  to  testify.  Father  took  an  active  part 
in  enlarging  the  association  and  in  carrying  out  its  objects. 
He  visited  various  places  in  New  England,  and  addressed 
meetings  of  bank  officers,  presenting  statistics  of  the  alarming 
spread  of  crime  and  showing  to  what  a  great  extent  not  only 
the  banks  but  also  the  public,  especially  the  poor,  were  suf- 
ferers. In  1854  he  was  elected  a  manager  and  made  treasurer 
and  member  of  the  executive  committee,  and  held  these  offices 
so  long  as  he  lived. 

The  association  acted  vigorously.  Pespite  all  difficulties, 
in  the  first  thirteen  years  of  its  existence  it  secured  the  con- 
viction of  593  counterfeiters.  It  also  collected  and  published 
a  large  amount  of  useful  information  concerning  the  best 
means  of  preventing  the  alteration  of  bank  bills,  including 
the  results  of  tests  of  the  various  kinds  of  paper  and  of  ink, 
the  proper  sizes  and  designs,  and  other  items  involved  in 
the  making  and  uttering  of  the  notes.  It  increased  its 
membersliip  throughout  New  England  and  promoted  the 
formation  of  similar  organizations  in  other  parts  of  the  United 
States. 

The  legislature  of  Massachusetts  was  not  asked  for  the 
annual  grant  in  1865,  because  the  banks  in  the  Commonwealth 
were  surrendering  their  State  charters  and  organizing  under 
the  national  system.  But  the  association  continued  its  useful 
work  for  years  thereafter,  and  was  a  potent  factor  in  the  dim- 
inution of  the  crime  of  counterfeiting.  In  the  twelve  years, 
1866  to  1877  inclusive,  it  caused  the  conviction  of  sixty- 


256         THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

seven  criminals  and  gave  efficient  aid  to  other  societies  of  its 
kind.  It  was  operating  effectively  in  1878,  but  not  long 
after  went  out  of  existence.  Apparently  its  place  was  taken 
by  the  protective  department  of  the  American  Bankers'  Asso- 
ciation, which  completed  its  organization  in  1876,  and  elected 
as  its  first  president  Mr.  Charles  B.  Hall,  cashier  of  the  Boston 
National  Bank,  who  for  many  years  had  been  the  efficient 
secretary  of  the  older  association. 

So  soon  as  the  New  York  banks  formed  a  Clearing  House 
Association,  father  with  others  began  to  agitate  the  subject 
in  Boston.  In  1855  the  Boston  Clearing  House  was  estab- 
lished, the  president  of  the  Wasliington  Bank  being  one  of 
the  original  executive  committee  which  completed  the  organ- 
ization. From  the  very  beginning  until  his  death,  my  father 
was  a  member  of  the  Clearing  House  Committee,  the  actual 
rulers  of  the  association. 

On  January  19,  1854,  at  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  of 
the  Washington  Bank,  it  was  voted  unanimously  to  petition 
the  legislature  for  an  increase  of  the  capital  stock  from 
■1500,000  to  $1,000,000.  Within  an  hour  after  the  vote  was 
passed,  the  petition  was  before  the  House  of  Representatives 
and  was  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Banks  and  Banking. 
The  president  of  the  bank  appeared  before  this  committee 
and  spoke  in  favor  of  the  petition.  After  much  discussion 
and  deliberation,  it  was  agreed  to  make  the  increase  $250,000, 
which  was  accepted  by  unanimous  vote  of  the  stockholders 
at  a  meeting  held  on  April  19,  1854.  Thereafter  the  capital 
stock  of  the  bank  became  and  remained  $750,000. 

On  May  17,  1856,  the  bank  moved  to  47  State  Street, 
taking  the  second  story  of  the  building  adjoining  the  Mer- 
chants Exchange  on  the  west.  It  may  be  well  to  name  here 
all  the  locations  of  the  Washington  Bank  during  its  existence. 

From  1825  to  1836  the  bank  was  at  471  Washington  Street, 
in  a  building  owned  by  the  Boylston  Fire  and  Marine  Insur- 
ance Company. 


Ta^T'  boylstoninsurance  office 


No.  47   STATE   STREET. 


■    THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         257 

From  1836  to  1844  it  was  at  410  Wasliington  Street,  at 
the  corner  of  Beach  Street,  in  a  building  erected  for  it. 

From  1844  to  1856  it  rented  rooms  at  75  State  Street,  at 
the  east  corner  of  Kilby  Street,  in  the  second  story. 

From  May  17,  1856,  to  April  1,  1889,  it  rented  the  second 
story  of  47  State  Street. 

From  April  1,  1889,  to  October  1,  1891,  it  occupied  tem- 
porary quarters  at  53  Devonshire  Street,  during  the  construc- 
tion of  the  new  Exchange  Building. 

From  October  1,  1891,  to  1902,  it  was  in  rooms  209  and 
210  in  the  Exchange  Building,  53  State  Street. 

The  panic  of  1857  was  not  wholly  unanticipated  by  the 
directors  of  the  Washington  Bank  and  other  shrewd  finan- 
ciers. There  had  been  signs  of  trouble  for  ten  years.  In 
October,  1847,  the  money  market  had  begun  to  be  stringent, 
and  during  more  than  four  years  good  paper  was  obliged  to 
pay  from  nine  to  eighteen  per  cent,  per  annum.  In  the  spring 
of  1852  money  became  temporarily  abujidant  at  six  per  cent., 
but  before  the  beginning  of  the  next  year  it  had  become 
scarce  again  and  commanded  from  twelve  to  twenty-four  per 
cent.  At  the  end  of  1854  large  firms  were  failing,  with 
heavy  liabilities,  and  in  this  year  the  Wasliington  Bank  was 
beginning  to  contract  its  loans.  Money  eased  up  to  ten  per 
cent,  in  the  first  part  of  1855,  but  large  failures  continued, 
and  before  the  end  of  the  year  at  least  one  Boston  bank 
closed  its  doors.  There  was  a  little  alleviation  in  1856  and 
the  beginning  of  1857  ;  but  in  1857  the  banks  in  nearly  all 
parts  of  the  country  were  curtailing  their  loans,  and  in  the 
fall  the  crash  came.  On  September  25  the  Philadelpliia  banks 
suspended  specie  payments,  followed  by  the  banks  of  Balti- 
more, Washington  and  other  places.  The  Providence  banks 
suspended  September  28.  On  the  30th,  the  Boston  banks,  in 
an  attempt  to  mitigate  the  condition,  voted  to  discount  ten 
per  cent,  of  their  capital  between  that  date  and  October  5 ; 
and  on  October  2,  the  merchants  of  Boston  held  a  meeting 


258         THE  WASPIINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

and  declared  that  the  Boston  banks  ought  not  to  suspend  so 
long  as  the  New  York  banks  paid  specie.  Money  was  now 
commanding  two  to  three  per  cent,  per  month,  or  more.  On 
October  13,  the  New  York  banks  began  to  suspend,  and  in 
view  of  this  the  Boston  banks  and  the  banks  generally  also 
suspended.  On  October  31,  father  made  this  entry  in  his 
Journal :  — 

This  day  ends  the  month  of  the  most  disastrous  and  trying 
time  in  financial  affairs  known  to  the  present  generation.  Busi- 
ness of  almost  all  kinds  has  come  to  a  perfect  standstill.  Manu- 
facturing and  other  establishments  have  stopped  and  dischai'ged 
their  operatives.  A  great  many  failures  have  taken  place  and 
a  general  breaking-up  and  breaking- down  of  mercantile  houses, 
which  have  before  weathered  all  the  storms  of  the  last  twenty  or 
thirty  years.  But  a  lighting- up  has  occurred  within  the  last  few 
days,  and  some  business  transactions  have  taken  place  on  the 
street  at  one  to  one  and  a  half  per  cent,  per  month,  which  is  a 
great  improvement. 

The  improvement  continued,  and  on  December  14,  the  Bos- 
ton banks  all  resumed  specie  payments.  Soon  money  became 
abundant  again  and  was  readily  obtainable  on  good  paper  at 
6  per  cent,  per  annum  and  less. 

The  money  market  now  remained  easy  until  it  was  again 
disturbed  by  the  intensely  exciting  presidential  election  of 
1860  and  the  threatened  secession  of  the  southern  States. 
The  election  was  held  on  November  6,  the  Republican  party 
was  victorious,  and  when  the  result  was  known  the  legislature 
of  South  Carolina  called  a  convention  to  consider  the  question 
of  secession.  Money  at  once  became  tight  and  rates  rose  from 
6  per  cent,  to  9,  12,  18  and  24  per  cent,  before  the  end  of  the 
year.  On  November  24,  the  Boston  bank  officers  held  a  meet- 
ing to  devise  methods  for  relieving  the  financial  stringency  ; 
they  decided  to  continue  to  pay  specie  to  the  public,  but 
agreed  to  receive  one-half  in  specie  and  one-half  in  bills  in 
their  settlements  with  each  other.     The  southern  States  se- 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         259 

ceded  and  many  northern  firms,  especially  those  whose  trade 
was  with  the  South,  were  ruined.  The  Civil  War  broke  out, 
and  the  national  government  soon  was  in  great  need  of  funds 
to  meet  the  large  and  increasing  expenditures  for  military 
and  naval  purposes. 

In  this  emergency,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  Salmon 
P.  Chase,  sought  the  advice  of  the  leading  financiers  of  the 
country,  and  various  conferences  were  held  by  him  in  New 
York  with  delegates  from  the  associated  banks  of  New  York, 
Boston  and  Philadelphia.  At  one  of  the  meetings,  on  No- 
vember 14,  1861,  the  delegates  from  Boston  were:  Franklin 
Haven,  president  of  the  Merchants  Bank ;  Almon  D.  Hodges, 
president  of  the  Washington  Bank;  Thomas  Lamb,  presi- 
dent of  the  New  England  Bank ;  and  Samuel  H.  Walley, 
president  of  the  Revere  Bank.  There  were  present  also  five 
delegates  from  the  New  York  banks  and  two  from  those  of 
Philadelpliia.  As  one  result  of  the  conferences,  the  banks 
of  the  three  cities  named  took  a  total  of  150  millions  of 
the  notes  and  bonds  issued  by  the  United  States.  These 
millions  were  paid  for  in  coin,  and  in  December,  1861,  the 
banks  found  it  necessary  to  suspend  specie  payments.  This 
action  was  decided  on  by  the  New  York  banks  on  December 

29,  and  immediately  a  trainload  of  speculators  and  other 
persons  started  by  rail  for  Boston  to  draw  gold  from  the 
banks  there.  Their  purpose  becoming  known,  the  Boston 
bank  presidents  assembled  early  in  the  morning  of  December 

30,  before  the  hour  of  opening,  and  their  banks  at  once  sus- 
pended although  they  had  eight  and  three-quarter  millions  of 
coin  in  their  vaults.  The  whole  country,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Pacific  Coast,  stopped  specie  payments  and  continued 
on  a  paper  basis  for  seventeen  years,  resuming  January  1, 
1879. 

Whether  the  financial  conditions  resulting  from  the  Civil 
War  rendered  advisable  the  establishment  of  a  national  bank 
system,  was  a  question  which  was  raised  in  the  first  year  of 


260         THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

the  war  aud  was  soon  being  earnestly  debated.  There  were 
many  who  strongly  advocated  such  a  system  and  others  who 
strenuously  opposed  it,  but  the  general  trend  of  opinion,  as 
time  went  on,  was  increasingly  favorable.     At    the    end    of 

1863,  there  were  187  national  banks  in  operation,  with  an 
aggregate  capital  of  $23,031,200,  but  only  a  few  of  these 
were  located  in  the  great  financial  centers.  In  1864,  Con- 
gress passed  a  law,  approved  June  3,  which  practically  settled 
the  question  and  brought  all  the  banks  under  the  national 
system.  Tliis  was  entitled,  "  An  act  to  provide  a  national 
currency  secured  by  a  pledge  of  United  States  bonds  and  to 
provide  for  the  circulation  and  redemption  thereof." 

On  December  2,  1863,  a  meeting  was  held,  at  the  Union 
Club  on  Park  Street,  of  presidents  of  Boston  banks  who  fa- 
vored the  change  to  a  national  system.  There  were  present 
W.  T.  Andrews  of  the  City  Bank,  Benjamin  E.  Bates  of  the 
Bank  of  Commerce,  William  Bramhall  of  the  Shawmut  Bank, 
Franklin  Haven  of  the  Merchants  Bank,  Almon  D.  Hodges  of 
the  Washington  Bank,  Thomas  Lamb  of  the  New  England 
Bank,  and  Charles  O.  Wliitmore  of  the  Market  Bank.  With- 
in a  year  thirty  out  of  the  forty-three  banks  in  Boston  had 
obtained  national  charters. 

The  directors  of  the  Washington  Bank,  on  November  12, 

1864,  in  accordance  with  the  unanimous  resolution  of  the 
stockholders  passed  on  the  preceding  day,  voted  to  change 
and  convert  their  bank  into  a  national  banking  association 
under  the  name  of  the  Washington  National  Bank,  with  a 
capital  of  -$750,000  in  shares  of  <flOO  each,  and  with  not  less 
than  five  directors.  At  this  date  there  were  299  stockholders 
—  40  of  these  being  corporations  —  of  whom  240  held  from 
1  to  24  shares  each ;  27,  from  25  to  49 ;  14,  from  50  to  74 ; 

4,  from  75  to  99;  7,  from  100  to  199;  1,  from  200  to  299; 

5,  from  300  to  400  ;  and  1,  the  Boylston  Fire  and  Marine  In- 
surance Company,  held  722  shares.  The  largest  individual 
stockholders  were :  Noble  Maxwell  of  Bowdoinham,  Me.,  153 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         261 

shares;  J.  A.  White  of  Framingham,  Mass.,  76  shares;  A.  & 
W.  M.  Tucker,  trustees,  75  shares  ;  and  William  Phillips,  75 
shares. 

Under  provisions  of  the  act  of  Congress,  an  agent  was  ap- 
pointed at  Washington  to  witness  yearly,  in  behalf  of  the 
bank,  the  burning  of  its  circulating  notes ;  also  to  examine 
and  compare  the  bonds  deposited  in  the  office  of  the  Treasurer 
of  the  United  States,  in  trust  for  the  bank,  with  the  books  of 
the  Comptroller  of  the  Currency  and  with  the  accounts  fur- 
nished by  the  bank  from  time  to  time ;  and  to  execute  certifi- 
cates to  the  Treasurer  when  the  bonds  were  found  to  be 
correct  and  to  agree  with  the  accounts.  But  the  careful  presi- 
dent of  the  bank  occasionally  went  to  Washington  to  assure 
himself  that  the  examinations  were  properly  conducted. 

The  Washington  Bank  was  temporarily  revived  as  a  State 
institution  by  an  act  of  the  Massachusetts  legislature,  ap- 
proved March  3,  1870,  which  provided  that: 

The  corporation  heretofore  known  as  -^.he  President,  Directors 
and  Company  of  the  Washington  Bank,  and  located  in  Boston,  is 
hereby  revived  and  continued  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the 
President  and  Directors  of  said  Washington  Bank,  at  the  time 
when  the  same  became  an  association  for  carrying  on  the  business 
of  banking  under  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  to  convey,  assign 
and  transfer  to  the  Washington  National  Bank  of  said  Boston  any 
real  estate  or  interests  therein  of  the  said  Washington  Bank,  and 
for  no  other  purpose  whatever. 

On  April  19  the  transfer  of  the  real  estate  was  voted  and 
immediately  executed,  and  the  bank  ceased  finally  to  be  a 
State  institution. 

An  exciting  event  in  the  liistory  of  the  Washington  Bank 
was  the  great  Boston  fire  of  November,  1872.  The  conflagra- 
tion extended  northerly  as  far  as  the  bank  building,  which  at 
one  time  seemed  doomed.  The  property  of  the  bank  was 
removed  to  the  residences  of  the  directors  and  the  buildiny 


262         THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

was  mined  ;  but  the  fire  was  checked  at  this  point  and  the 
bank  remained  unscathed. 

The  next  exciting  event  was  the  panic  of  1873,  which  cuhui- 
nated  in  the  autumn.  So  dangerous  was  the  condition  of  the 
brokers  that  the  Boston  Stock  Exchange  closed  on  September 
20,  and  for  ten  days  did  no  business.  The  Washington  Bank, 
however,  declared  as  usual  on  September  23  its  semi-annual 
dividend  —  5  per  cent,  and  the  taxes  which  amounted  to 
81.80  per  share — and  had  a  surplus  remaining  of  $274,363.79. 
On  September  29,  following  the  example  of  the  banks  in  New 
York  City,  the  Boston  banks  voted  to  suspend  payments  on 
large  sums  and  to  issue  ten  million  dollars  of  Clearing  House 
certificates,  making  it  possible  to  continue  business  among 
themselves.  These  certificates  were  a  temporary  loan  made 
to  the  members  of  the  Clearing  House  Association  for  the 
purpose  of  settling  the  balances  due  from  and  to  each  other, 
the  banks  being  required,  before  receiving  the  certificates,  to 
deposit  with  the  Clearing  House  Committee  securities  as  col- 
lateral for  the  loan  at  75  per  cent,  of  their  value.  The  sus- 
pension of  payments  continued  until  November  1.  The 
effects  of  the  panic  were  widespread,  and  half  a  dozen  years 
passed  before  complete  recovery  was  realized. 

While  serving  as  president  of  the  Washington  Bank,  father 
held  for  fifteen  years  the  presidency  of  the  Institution  for  Sav- 
ings in  Roxbury  and  its  Vicinity,  being  a  member  of  the  cor- 
poration during  twenty-five  years  and  a  vice-president  seven 
years.  This  institution,  when  he  was  first  elected,  had  on 
deposit  $175,000  ;  when  he  left  it,  nearly  three  millions  ;  and 
in  the  meantime  it  paid  dividends  averaging  seven  per  cent, 
per  annum.  Father's  resignation  as  president  was  tendered 
at  the  end  of  1877,  and  was  caused  by  his  giving  up  his  legal 
residence  in  Roxbury. 

After  the  death  of  its  second  president,  the  bank,  on  Sep- 
tember   28,  1878,  elected  as  its    third   president    Mr.  Eben 


EBEN    BACON, 

Third    President  of  the   Washington    Bank. 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         263 

Bacon  wlio  had  already  been  a  director  for  many  years.  Mr. 
Bacon  continued  in  office  until  tlie  end  of  1895,  when  he  re- 
signed, believing  that  the  responsibilities  of  management  were 
overtaxing  his  physical  powers.  He  remained,  however,  on 
the  board  of  directors  so  long  as  the  bank  existed.  He  was 
the  son  of  Daniel  Carpenter  and  Desire  Taylor  (Gorham) 
BacoU;  was  born  in  Brookline,  Mass.,  1830  or  1831,  and  died 
in  Jamaica  Plain,  February  22,  1905. 

On  February  6,  1890,  the  directors  voted  that  interest 
might  be  paid  on  such  deposits  at  such  rates  as  the  presi- 
dent might  direct.  This  was  a  notable  departure  from  the 
previous  conservative  methods  of  the  bank.  But  customs 
were  changing,  there  was  much  competiton  for  business,  and 
the  trust  companies,  which  were  growing  numerous,  all  paid 
interest  on  deposits. 

On  April  21,  1893,  the  president  reported  to  the  board  of 
directors  —  which  ratified  his  action  —  that  he  had  voted,  sul> 
ject  to  their  approval,  at  a  meeting  qf  the  Clearing  House 
Association,  in  favor  of  the  following  resolution  which  had 
been  adopted,  viz. : 

The  Associated  Banks  of  Boston,  relying  upon  the  ability  and 
determination  of  the  government  to  maintain  gold  pajnuents, 
hereby  tender  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  one-half  of  the 
gold  reserves  held  by  them,  in  exchange  for  legal  tender  notes, 
and  the  Clearing  House  Committee  is  directed  to  carry  out  the 
terms  of  this  resolution. 

The  financial  disasters  of  1893  did  not  seriously  disturb 
the  bank.  In  the  latter  part  of  June,  the  New  York  and  the 
Boston  banks  issued  Clearing  House  certificates  and  thereby 
lessened  the  severity  of  the  situation. 

On  July  23,  1896,  the  directors  voted  to  exchange,  for  the 
relief  of  the  United  States  Treasury,  a  sum  not  exceeding 
twenty  thousand  dollars  in  gold  for  legal  tender  notes  at  such 
time  as  might  be  decided  upon  by  the  Boston  national  banks 
in  aid  of  the  United  States. 


264         THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON. 

On  January  7,  1896,  Mr.  Christopher  Minot  Weld  was 
elected  as  the  fourth  —  and  last  —  president  of  the  bank. 
Mr.  Weld  was  the  son  of  Francis  Minot  and  Elizabeth  (Rod- 
man) Weld,  was  born  in  West  Roxbury  (now  Boston)  October 
2,  1858,  and  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1880.  He 
is  now  (1909)  president  of  the  New  England  Cotton  Yarn 
Company,  with  headquarters  in  Boston. 

On  January  20,  1902,  the  directors  voted  to  call  a  special 
meeting  of  the  shareholders  on  February  20,  to  consider 
whether  or  no  the  bank  should  be  placed  in  voluntary  liquida- 
tion. On  January  23,  the  directors  voted  that  a  committee 
of  three  of  their  members  should  be  authorized  to  transfer 
the  assets  and  books  of  the  bank  to  the  National  Suffolk  Bank, 
provided  the  consent  of  two-thirds  of  the  stockholders  was 
given.  On  January  27,  the  committee  reported  that,  having 
secured  the  assent  of  the  requisite  number  of  shareholders, 
the  transfer  had  been  made  at  the  close  of  business  on  Satur- 
day, January  25. 

The  special  meeting  of  the  stockholders  was  held  on  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1902,  and  7,310  shares  were  represented.  It  was 
voted  unanimously  — 

That  the  Washington  National  Bank  of  Boston  be  placed  in  vol- 
untary liquidation  under  the  provisions  of  sections  5220  and  5221 
of  the  United  States  revised  statutes,  to  take  effect  at  the  close  of 
business  on  February  20,  1902. 

That  the  action  of  the  directors  is  ratified  in  heretofore  transfer- 
ring the  assets  of  the  bank  to  the  National  Suffolk  Bank  for  the 
purjiose  of  liquidation. 

The  liquidation  of  the  bank  was  due,  not  to  any  weakness 
in  its  financial  condition,  but  to  the  methods  of  financing  and 
controlling  corporations  which  had  their  beginnings  in  the 
years  following  the  period  of  the  Civil  War  and  had  now 
become  prevalent  throughout  the  country.  The  era  of  large 
holdings  and  consolidation  had  arrived.  Two  parties,  one 
represented  by  Mr.  Arthur  E.  Applej^ard  and  the  other  by 


THE  WASHINGTON  BANK  OF  BOSTON.         265 

Mr.  Robert  Winsor  of  Kidder,  Petibody  &  Company,  had 
been  purchasing  hirge  amounts  of  the  bank  stock  and  had 
secured  control.  Their  purposes  were  discordant,  but  the 
views  of  Mr.  Winsor  finally  prevailed,  and  the  Washington 
National  Bank  and  the  Suffolk  National  Bank  were  merged 
under  the  name  of  the  National  Suffolk  Bank. 

On  April  30,  1906,  the  agents  in  liquidation  presented  their 
final  report.  By  this  it  appeared  that  the  assets  of  the  bank 
at  the  close  of  business  on  January  25,  1902,  including  the 
bonds  deposited  to  cover  circulation,  had  an  inventory  value 
of  12,745,492.56.  A  few  promissory  notes  of  a  total  face 
value  of  '1757.37  had  proved  worthless,  but  on  the  whole 
there  had  been  a  gain  over  the  inventory,  due  in  part  to  inter- 
est receipts.  All  the  actual  assets  had  been  converted  into 
cash.  The  receipts  had  been  '12,713,923.16  and  balanced  the 
disbursements  which  included  seven  dividends  in  liquidation 
amounting  in  all  to  -$150.60  per  share. 

The  board  of  directors  received  an^  accepted  the  report 
and  the  Washington  Bank  became  a  memory. 


THE    RE-ESTABLISHED    HOME 
IN    ROXEURY. 


N  Tuesday,  December  17,  1850,  father  was  mar- 
ried ill  Fall  River,  Mass.,  to  Jane  Hudson,  widow 
of  Gustavus  Leonard  of  Taunton,  daughter  of 
Dr.  Ameiy  and  Ann  Chaloner  (Durfee)  Glazier 
of  Fall  River,  and  granddaughter  of  Calvin  and  Lydia  (Pierce) 
Glazier  of  South  Brimfield  (Holland),  Mass.  Doctor  Glazier 
spelled  liis  Christian  name  as  above,  but  his  early  preceptor 
spelled  it  "  Emery  "  in  the  certificate  here  reproduced  : 


--^^^24l^//n 


— 7 

CERTIFICATE    OF    DR.    AMERY    GLAZIER'S    PRECEPTOR. 

Jane  Hudson  Glazier  was  doubtless  descended  from  John 
Glazier,  who  was  in  Woburn,  Mass.,  in  1663  or  earlier,  but 
the  line  has  not  been  traced  out.  On  her  mother's  side  she 
belonged  to  the  prominent  and  wealthy  Borden  and  Durfee 
families  of  Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts,  and  counted 
among  her  ancestors  William  Bradford,  pilgrim  and  governor 

(266) 


JANE   HUDSON    HODGES. 


THE  RE-ESTABLISHED  HOME  IN  ROXBURY.     267 

of  Plymouth  Plantation.  She  was  born  in  Fall  River  July  3, 
1817,  and  died  in  Roxbury  (then  Boston)  November  3,  1901. 
By  her  first  husband  she  had  one  child,  Jane  Frances  Leonard, 
who  was  born  in  Fall  River  August  15,  1841,  and  died  of 
consumption  in  Roxbury  December  31,  1862.  By  her  second 
husband  she  had  two  children,  both  born  in  Roxbury,  Amory 
Glazier  Hodges  and  Edward  Carroll  Hodges. 

She  had  been  carefully  trained  by  her  mother  and  her 
father,  and  had  received  an  Old  New  England  academic  edu- 
cation, which  included  a  good  knowledge  of  English  and 
some  apprehension  of  Latin  and  French.*  She  was  naturally 
bright  and  quick,  and  was  most  attractive  in  person  and  man- 
ners. She  was  indeed  fair  to  see,  but  that  somewhat  over- 
rated artist,  the  sun,  always  failed  in  his  endeavor  to  reproduce 
her  handsome  and  mobile  features  on  the  photographic  plate. 
It  was  easy  and  pleasant  for  her  to  manage  her  household 
and  entertain  her  many  guests,  and  she  always  found  time 
for  social  pleasures  and  kindly  deeds  aivl  for  participation  in 
matters  affecting  the  common  weal.  She  was  conscientious 
and  religious,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Trinitarian  Congre- 
gational church ;  yet  she  was  liberal  in  her  ideas,  and  no 
difference  in  the  theological  beliefs  of  herself  and  her  husband 
was  ever  allowed  to  interrupt  the  harmony  of  their  lives. 

The  scattered  family  was  collected  and  the  home  on  St. 
James  Street,  Roxbury,  was  re-opened,  at  once  becoming  a 
center  of  hospitality  for  youths  and  maidens  and  their  elders, 
for  relatives,  friends  and  acquaintances.  There  was  a  con- 
stant succession  of  visitors,  and  before  long  the  house  could 
not  hold  them  all  and  was  therefore  enlarged.  But  the  home 
life,  although  generous,  was  simple,  and  was  so  well  regulated 
that  pleasure  never  conflicted  with  duty. 


*  Her  sister,  Eliza  Ann  (Glazier)  Fish,  over^«lielmed  the  editor  in  his 
first  year  of  Latin  by  replying  in  that  ancient  language  to  a  rather  vain- 
glorious epistle  which  he  had  sent  her,  displaying  his  callow  Latinity. 


268     TPIE  RE-ESTABLISHED  HOME  IN  ROXBURY. 

The  greatest  attraction  of  the  home  was  the  new  daughter, 
Jennie  Leonard,  as  she  was  usually  called.  Of  her  sweetness 
and  loveliness,  both  of  person  and  of  character,  it  is  difficult 
for  me  to  give  an  adequate  description.  She  came,  a  girl 
of  nine,  into  a  household  of  six  boys,  ranging  in  age  from 
nineteen  down  to  four,  and  they  all  without  exception  fell 
heels  over  head  in  love  with  her ;  she  lived  with  them  twelve 
years,  and  their  love  for  her  increased  each  year.  It  was  the 
same  with  her  step-father,  and  indeed  with  all  who  knew  her. 
Her  gentle  dignity,  her  ready  helpfulness,  her  warm-hearted- 
ness, her  brightness  and  vivacity  compelled  universal  admira- 
tion. She  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  leaving  a  beautiful 
memory.  Her  death  broke  the  heart  and  the  health  of  her 
devoted  mother,  who  never  was  quite  the  same  in  strength 
thereafter. 

On  May  18,  1852,  the  youngest  member  of  the  family, 
Francis  Olney  Hodges,  passed  out  of  the  world.  The  child 
was  endowed  with  great  sweetness  of  disposition  and  remark- 
able mental  ability.  Going  to  school  at  the  age  of  three,  he 
quickly  learned  to  read  and  write.  Before  his  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  six  years  and  two  days  old,  he  was  as 
far  advanced  in  his  studies  as  are  the  grammar-school  gradu- 
ates of  to-day.  The  cause  of  his  death  was  an  extraordinary 
sarcoma,  or  tumor,  in  his  face,  which  grew  to  a  length  of 
eleven  and  a  half  inches  from  its  point  to  the  occiput.  The 
patience  and  fortitude  of  the  cliild  under  his  suffering,  which 
lasted  some  four  months,  was  wonderful. 

Father's  strong  affection  for  liis  kinspeople  developed  into 
a  love  for  genealogy,  and  in  1852  he  joined  the  New  England 
Historic  Genealogical  Society,  being  made  a  life  member  in 
1859,  and  serving  as  president  from  1859  to  1861.  He  was 
elected  honorary  or  corresponding  member  of  numerous  other 
similar  associations.  In  1853  he  published  the  Genealogical 
Record  of  the  Hodges  Family  in  New  England,  the  compila- 
tion of  which  had  required  so  much  time  that  one  might  won- 


THE  RE-ESTABLISHED  HOME  IX  ROXBURY.     269 

der  how  so  busy  a  man  could  find  opportunity  for  the  extra 
labor.  But  he  was  very  methodical  and  could  work  hard  and 
rapidly  ;  and  thus  he  was  able  to  perform  the  mau}^  business 
duties  which  devolved  on  liim,  attend  to  the  welfare  and 
pleasure  of  his  family,  entertain  almost  constantly  at  his 
home,  visit  his  friends  now  and  then,  and  also  devote  fre- 
quent hours  to  reading  and  writing.  That  he  was  aided 
greatly  by  his  wife,  goes  without  saying.  She  knew  how  to 
direct  her  household  with  the  maximum  of  comfort  and  the 
minimum  of  friction.  Everything  moved  as  if  by  clock-work, 
the  daily  tasks  were  performed  at  the  allotted  hours,  and  the 
servants  were  kept  cheerful  and  contented.  It  was  her  pride 
to  have  an  attractive  home.  When  the  children  had  grown 
in  years  and  scattered,  it  was  her  delight  to  bring  them  to- 
gether under  her  roof  at  least  once  a  year,  and  it  became  the 
custom  for  them  all  to  gather  at  her  house  on  Thanksgiving 
Day  and  be  mothered  again  by  her.  The  last  time  the  whole 
surviving  family  were  together  was  the  Thanksgiving  Day 
after  her  death,  when  they  assembled  at  their  old  home,  and 
the  oldest  brother  read  a  paper  written  in  her  memory  and  in 
memory  of  the  many  happy  years  they  had  passed  together. 

Father  arose  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  prompt  to  the 
minute,  and  roused  the  sleepier  members  of  the  family. 
Breakfast  was  served  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  summer  and  at 
half-past  seven  in  the  winter.  Then,  until  within  three  or 
four  years  of  his  death,  he  walked  the  three  miles  between 
his  house  and  the  bank,  never  riding  except  in  the  case  of  a 
violent  storm.  At  three  minutes  before  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  he  left  the  bank,  caught  the  two  o'clock  street  car 
and  rode  to  Roxbury,  where  dinner  was  served  at  half-past 
two.  Supper  was  at  half-past  six,  after  which  father  read 
prayers,  and  retired  at  ten  o'clock  unless  prevented  by  some 
entertainment. 

In  the  fall  of  1854  illuminating  gas  was  put  into  the 
house,  and  the  use  of  oil-lamps  was  discontinued.     The  next 


270     THE  RE-ESTABLISHED  HOME  IN  ROXBURY. 

spring  the  house  was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  an  ell  on 
the  westerly  side,  and  in  1859  an  upper  story  and  cupola 
were  built  over  the  main  edifice.  In  May,  1860,  the  first 
sewing  machine,  Wheeler  &  Wilson's,  was  bought  by  father, 
"for  $80,  all  comi^lete." 

The  Journal  entry  of  February  25, 1855,  reads :  "  I  weighed 
myself  during  the  last  week,  and  my  weight  was  180  pounds, 
which  is  about  five  or  six  pounds  less  than  the  average  of  the 
last  six  years,  but  was  my  average  weight  ten  to  fifteen  years 
ago." 


FIRST  OPEN  CAR  OF  THE  METROPOLITAN   STREET  RAILROAD. 

On  Wednesday,  September  17,  1856,  the  horse  cars  of  the 
Metropolitan  Street  Railroad,  between  Roxbuiy  and  Boston, 
carried  passengers  for  the  first  time.  They  ran  on  Washing- 
ton Street  between  Guild  Row  (Dudley  Street)  in  Roxbury 
and  Dover  Street  in  Boston.*  On  September  22  they  ran  as 
far  north  as  Boylston  Street,  and  on  October  17  as  far  as  the 
Granary  Burial  Ground  on  Tremont  Street,  which  was  a  ter- 


*  Metropolitan  Raitroad.  This  city  road  has  been  running  one 
or  two  cars  since  Wednesday  last,  regularly  from  Dover  Street,  and  oc- 
casionally from  Boylston  Market.  The  first  trip  was  made  in  order  to 
fulfill  an  invitation  given  to  the  city  government  of  Roxbury;  after  this, 
one  car  was  run  during  the  daytime  of  the  17th,  and  over  one  thousand 
people  were  carried  over  the  route  with  the  use  of  only  three  pairs  of 
horses.     [Boston  Traveller,  Monday,  Sept.  22,  1S56.] 


THE  RE-ESTABLISHED  HOME  IN  ROXBURY.     271 

minus  for  quite  a  period.  The  advent  of  the  car  meant  the 
exit  of  the  omnibus ;  not  at  once,  however,  as  there  was  an 
active  competition  for  some  years,  the  omnibus  having  its 
times  of  triumph  in  winter,  when  it  coukl  move  easily  on 
rumiers,  while  the  heavy  snow  blockaded  the  cars.  But  the 
'bus  was  before  long  compelled  to  retire,  and  with  it  passed 
away  the  extreme  sociability  of  its  patrons  during  rush  hours, 
when  the  heavier  male  passengers  occupied  the  seats  and  held 
in  their  laps  the  lighter  members  of  the  other  sex. 

November  4,  1856.  "Presidential  Election.  I  think  [wrote 
father]  this  must  be  the  most  exciting  presidential  election  this 
country  has  ever  had.  It  certainly  has  been  the  most  stirring 
one  which  I  can  remember,  even  more  than  that  of  Harrison 
in  1840.  The  presidential  candidates  were  :  John  C.  Fre- 
mont, who  received  114  electoral  votes  ;  Millard  Fillmore,  8 
votes  ;  James  Buchanan,  174  votes.*  I  voted  with  a  good 
will  for  Fremont.  Although  I  had  been  well  satisfied  with 
the  administration  of  Fillmore,  I  preferred  casting  my  ballot 
for  Fremont  who,  if  elected,  I  felt  sure,  would  not  be  presi" 
dent  of  a  party,  but  president  of  the  United  Statesf  and  more 
certain  to  take  a  firm  stand  for  freedom  and  free  speech  ;  and 
would  resist  the  encroachments  of  the  slave  power  and,  with 
the  party  that  elected  him,  would  stand  on  the  platform  of  no 
more  slave  territory." 

In  1852,  father  had  voted  "rather  reluctantly"  for  General 
Winfield  Scott  who,  after  a  long  and  hot  contest,  had  received 
the  nomination  of  the  Whig  party  at  its  convention  at  Balti- 
more —  a  nomination  "  which  causes  much  dissatisfaction  in 


*  These  figures  evidently  were  added  at  a  later  date.  The  popular 
vote  for  Fremont  was  1,341,264,  for  Fillmore  874,534,  and  for  Buchanan 
1,838,169. 

t  The  democratic  leaders  had  raised  the  cry  that  the  republican  party 
was  merely  a  sectional  organization.  It  was  in  reply  to  this  assertion 
that  Charles  Sumner  declared  in  the  Senate  that  "freedom,  and  not 
slavery,  is  national  ;  while  slavery,  and  not  freedom,  is  sectional." 


27!2     THE  RE-ESTABLISHED  HOME  IN  ROXBURY. 

the  Whig  ranks  here."  The  final  vote  at  the  convention,  on 
the  53(i  ballot,  was:  Winfield  Scott  158,  Millard  Fillmore 
122,  and  Daniel  Webster  28. 

Father  had  been  an  anti-slavery.  Union  Whig.  He  was 
an  admiier  of  Henry  Clay  and  a  great  admirer  of  Daniel 
Webster ;  but  he  was  resolutely  opposed  to  the  Fugitive 
Slave  law,  and  when  he  wrote,  in  the  passage  above  quoted, 
that  he  was  well  satisfied  with  Fillmore's  administration,  he 
did  not  include  approbation  of  the  president's  approval  of  tliis 
bill.  Nevertheless,  so  strong  Avas  his  law-abiding  sense,  after 
it  had  become  a  law  of  the  land  he  was  unwilling  to  resort  to 
violence.  He  believed  that  its  enforcement  would  result  in 
an  irresistible  public  opinion  which  would  make  the  bill  a 
dead  letter  and  cause  its  repeal.  So  also  with  regard  to  slav- 
ery. Wliile  he  strongly  condemned  that  institution,  he  real- 
ized the  fact  that  slave-owners,  being  human,  could  not  be 
expected  to  impoverish  themselves  by  freeing  their  slaves, 
and  he  was  willing  to  wait  until  the  evil  effects  of  slavery 
should  bring  about  its  peaceable  termination ;  for  he  was 
convinced  that  slavery  was  not  only  a  moral  evil  but  also  a 
financial  mistake  which  the  whole  South  would  ere  long  dis- 
cover, —  as  some  Southerners  had  already  discovered.  He 
did  not  however  propose  to  wait  supinely,  but  would  aid  ac- 
tively with  word,  vote  and  purse.  When  the  proper  time 
came,  he  would  contribute  to  purchasing  the  emancipation  of 
the  blacks  if  this  could  be  arranged.  Meanwhile,  the  Whig 
party  having  gone  to  pieces,  he  joined  the  Republicans.  He 
worked  and  voted  with  them  in  the  elections  of  1856  and 
of  1860  and  afterwards. 

Between  1850  and  1860,  father  made  several  pleasure  trips 
with  his  wife  and  step-daughter  through  New  England  and 
the  Middle  States,  once  visiting  the  National  Capital.  In 
1855  he  journeyed  to  "the  western  country," — Ohio,  Illinois 
and   Kentucky,  —  travelling  in  three  weeks  2,345  miles  by 


THE  RE-ESTABLISHED  HOME  IN  ROXBURY     273 

railroad,  1,237  miles  by  steamboat,  and  70  miles  by  carriage  — 
3,652  miles  in  all  —  seeing  many  pleasant  places,  undergoing 
many  interesting  experiences,  meeting  many  friends  who  re- 
ceived him  most  hospitably,  and  incurring  a  personal  expense 
of  only  about  one  hundred  dollars.  In  1859  he  again  went 
west,  his  main  object  being  to  visit  his  son  Frederick,  who 
was  residing  in  Davenport,  Iowa.  He  "  was  absent  just  one 
fortnight.  Expenses,  96  dollars.  Distances  travelled  :  Bos- 
ton to  Davenport,  1,221  miles  ;  Davenport  to  Cincinnati,  509 
miles  ;  Cincinnati  to  Philadelphia,  623  miles  ;  Philadelphia  to 
New  York,  90  miles  ;  New  York  to  Boston,  236  miles  ;  total, 
2,679  miles."  The  amount  of  his  expenses  indicates,  not  the 
cost  of  travelling  in  those  days,  but  the  extent  of  hospitality 
with  which  he  was  received  everywhere.  At  the  end  of  each 
journey  his  Journal  invariably  records  the  fact  that  he  had 
had  "  a  most  enjoyable  trip." 

In  1857  he  made  a  journey  to  Europe,  a  brief  narrative  of 
which  is  given  in  the  following  chapter. 


A   DASH  THROUGH   EUROPE. 


j^N  the  Ocean,  1st  to  12tli  day.  May  20,  1857,  I 
left  Boston  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  on  the 
Steamer  Europa,  with  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  passengers  on  board.  It  rained  and  the 
wind  from  the  northeast  was  blowing  a  gale.  I  sat  behind 
the  steam-pipe  with  two  solitary-looking  individuals  nearly  all 
day,  took  neither  dinner  nor  tea,  and  retired  early.  The  next 
morning  there  was  a  dense  fog,  and  also  a  heavy  sea.  I  tried 
to  walk  the  deck,  but  found  it  difficult.  The  deck  would  go 
down  faster  than  my  boots  were  willing  to  follow  ;  then  it 
would  rise  up  so  rapidly  that  my  poor  boots  had  to  sustain  a 
weight  which  I  estimated  at  some  four  hundred  pounds.  I 
met  several  acquaintances,  but  nearly  all  of  the  passengers 
staid  in  their  staterooms. 

We  reached  Halifax  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the 
tliird  day  and  left  at  half-past  eight,  and  sailed  in  a  fog  three 
days  longer.  During  the  voyage  I  arose  four  times  very  early 
in  the  morning  to  see  the  sunrise,  but  on  account  of  heavy  fogs 
I  saw  it  only  on  the  fourth  trial,  the  day  of  arrival  at  Liver- 
pool, when  the  sun  rose  at  three  o'clock  like  a  balloon  of  fire. 
After  leaving  Halifax  the  passengers  began  to  emerge  from 
their  rooms,  and  by  the  sixth  day  all,  or  nearly  all,  of  them 
were  able  to  be  on  deck.  Our  principal  amusements  were 
playing  shuffleboard  in  the  daytime,  and  listening  to  the  ex- 
cellent singing  of  the  Misses  [Louisa  F.  and  Susan]  Pyne  and 
[William]  Harrison  [of  the  Pyne  and  Harrison  English  Opera 
Company]  in  the  evening.     Nearly  every  day  the  sailors  en- 

*  In  eighty-five  days.     Condensed  from  the  Journal  of  A.  D.  H. 

(274) 


A   DASH   THROUGH   EUROPE.  '275 

tertained  us  by  performances  in  which  some  comical  animal  or 
personage  always  figured.  On  the  Sunday  mornings  we  hud 
the  English  Church  service  conducted  by  a  young  clergyman. 
On  the  twelfth  day,  having  averaged  about  255  miles  per 
diem,  we  arrived  off  Liverpool  at  half-past  four  in  the  even- 
ing, and,  after  passing  the  custom-house  examination,  reached 
the  wharf  at  seven  o'clock.  I  went  to  the  Adelphi  hotel,  and 
after  securing  a  room,  called  on  Mrs.  B.,  to  whom  I  had  pre- 
viously forwarded  my  letter  of  introduction. 

13th  day.  Went  by  rail  from  Liverpool  to  Manchester, 
where  I  visited  the  Exhibition  of  the  "  Arts  Treasures,"  a 
collection  of  the  choicest  gems  of  art  in  the  kingdom,  the 
Queen  and  many  of  the  nobility  and  gentry  lending  their  best 
pictures.     This  was  a  great  treat. 

14th  day.  Left  Manchester  and  went  to  Sheffield,  where 
the  people  were  having  a  fine  time  at  a  Fair,  and  every  man, 
woman  and  child  appeared  to  be  happy.  Delivered  a  letter 
of  introduction,  bought  cutlery  of  Rogers  &  Sons,  and  went 
to  London  —  a  charming  ride  through  *  beautiful  country. 

15th  to  25th  day.  At  London.  Received  many  courtesies, 
including  a  succession  of  dinners,  from  the  principal  bankers 
and  other  persons  here,  to  whom  I  had  letters  of  introduction. 
Was  dined  very  pleasantly  one  day  by  William  Hodges,  Esq., 
a  prominent  barrister,  who  was  knighted  by  the  Queen  about 
1858.*  He  and  I  had  become  known  to  one  another  by  corre- 
spondence when  I  was  compiling  the  Hodges  Genealogy. 

Visited  the  principal  places  of  interest  in  and  around  this 
great  city.  At  the  Crystal  Palace  at  Sydenham,  a  magical 
place,  an  audience  of  some  ten  thousand  people  listened  to 
a  concert  of  the  Cologne  Union,  which  is  a  society  of  fine 
sino-ers  led  by  Von  Weber,  the  son  of  the  great  composer. 
On^Sunday  I  went  to  the  Surrey  Gardens  and  for  a  slrilling 
obtained  a  good  seat  in  Julien's  great  concert  room,  which  is 
said  to  hold  ten  thousand  people,  and  which  was  hUed  to  its 

*  The  last  words  added  later. 


27(5  A   DASH   THROUGH   EUROPE. 

capacity.  Here  1  lieard  the  famous  Spiirgeon,  who  preached 
a  sermon  on  "  presumptuous  sins  "  with  much  eloquence  and 
great  power.  There  Avas  no  outbreak  of  applause  by  the 
audience,  only  a  low  hum  of  approval  from  time  to  time. 
Through  the  kindness  of  the  firm  of  George  Peabody  &  Co.,  I 
was  enabled  to  visit  the  different  departments  of  the  Bank  of 
Kngland,  and  also  of  the  London  Post  Office.  Being  pro- 
vided with  tickets  by  our  American  Minister,  Mr.  Dallas,  I 
visited  the  House  of  Lords  and  heard  Lord  Grey  and  Lord 
Palmerston  speak.  I  visited  also  the  House  of  Conunons. 
One  day  I  saw  the  nobility  and  gentry  riding  and  driving  in 
Hyde  Park.  (^Mem.  The  private  coachmen  and  footmen  are 
the  best  dressed  and  the  haridsomest  men  in  England.)  At 
the  Ascot  races  I  saw  Queen  Victoria  and  other  members 
of  the  royal  family.  The  great  race-horse  on  the  ground  was 
Blink  Bonny,  who  trotted  around  the  course  Avith  no  compet- 
itor and  took  the  first  prize.      Tliis  day  it  did  not  rain. 

26th  and  27tli  days.  Went  from  London,  on  the  steamer 
Baron  Orsay,  down  the  Thames  and  to  Antwerp,  where  I 
saw  many  precious  and  rare  works  of  painting  and  sculpture. 

28th  day.  Went  from  Antwerp  to  ))eautiful  Brussels. 
Took  the  stage-coach  to  Waterloo,  a  two  hours'  ride.  Walked 
over  the  battle-field,  having  as  our  guide  the  old  English  ser- 
geant, Martin  Visner,  who  described  with  thrilling  effect  the 
taking  and  re-taking  of  the  grounds  of  the  Chateau  Hougo- 
mont,  and  the  bloody  work  on  that  day  of  battle.  Returned 
in  the  afternoon  to  Brussels. 

29th  day.  In  the  afternoon,  by  rail  to  Chaude  Fontaine, 
in  the  valley  of  the  Vesdre,  five  miles  from  Liege. 

30th  day.  By  rail  from  Chaude  Fontaine  thr(High  Herbes- 
thal  (where  our  passports  were  called  for)  and  Aix-la-Chapelle 
to  Cologne. 

31st  day.  From  Cologne  by  steamer  up  the  Rhine  to  Cas- 
tel,  a  most  delightful  and  interesting  trip,  and  thence  by  rail 
to  Frankfort. 


A   DASH    THKOUGH    El' ROPE.  277 

32(1  day.  At  the  Hotel  D'Angieterre,  in  Fraiikfoit,  I  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Captain  La  Pistori  of  the  Austrian  army. 
As  he  was  travelling  alone  and  wished  to  improve  his  English, 
and  I  was  desirous  of  the  company  of  an  agreeable  person  who 
knew  the  lands  and  the  languages,  and  as  we  were  mutually 
pleased  with  each  other,  the  result  of  our  meeting  was  tliat 
we  travelled  together  until  we  reached  Milan,  in  Ital}",  where 
we  parted  with  much  regret.  The  captain  ^n'oved  to  be  a 
most  charming  companion. 

We  went  to-day  from  Frankfort  by  rail  to  Heidelberg, 
where  we  visited  the  celebrated  Castle,  and  thence  by  rail  to 
Baden  Baden,  where  we  arrived  about  six  in  the  evening. 
After  a  stay  of  about  two  hours  at  this  resort,  during  which 
we  dined  and  visited  tlie  crowded  gambling-rooms,  we  took 
the  cars  to  Ilastatt,  quite  a  large  village  with  a  very  poor 
hotel. 

33d  day.  Leaving  Ilastatt  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
we  went  in  the  cars  to  Constatt  and  thence  by  carriage  to 
Stuttgart.  Thence  we  went  by  rail,  via  Ulm,  to  Friedrichs- 
hiifen  on  Lake  Constance,  where  we  arrived  at  ten  o'clock  at 
night. 

34th  day.  We  took  the  steamer  on  Lake  Constance  to 
Constance,  where  we  spent  three  hours  devoted  mainly  to  the 
memorials  of  John  Huss.  Thence  we  went  by  steamer  to 
Schaffhausen  where,  taking  a  carriage,  we  visited  the  beauti- 
ful falls  of  the  Rhine,  and  then  proceeded  by  rail  to  Zurich, 
which  we  reached  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  twelve  houi's 
after  leaving  Friedrichshafen. 

35th  day.  Leaving  Zurich  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning 
we  traveled  by  steamer  and  then  by  diligence  to  Lake  Zug, 
and  then  by  omnibus  to  the  foot  of  Mount  Rigi.  We  began 
the  ascent  of  the  mountain  at  three  in  the  afternoon,  Captain 
La  Pistori  on  foot  and  I  on  horseback.  I  had  a  guide,  but  as 
my  horse  made  slow  progress  under  his  management,  I  soon  re- 
quired him  to  mount  the  animal,  which  7  then  led,  hastening  its 


•278  A    DASH   THliOLTGH   ELIROPE. 

movements  by  my  imitation  of  the  guide's  ejaculations,  which 
sounded  something  like  a  grunt  followed  by  "gip-gip-"  Thus 
I  was  enabled  to  keep  up  with  the  Captain,  and  also  to  amuse 
the  people  whom  we  met  on  the  road.  We  reached  the  hotel 
on  the  summit  about  six  o'clock  and  were  fortunate  enough  to 
secure  a  room  and  two  beds.  Often  the  wayfarer  is  obliged 
to  take  a  sofa,  or  a  chair,  or  the  floor ;  for  stop  at  this  hotel 
he  must,  there  being  no  other  place  to  go  to.  And  the  hotel 
is  poor  and  high-priced. 

We  enjoyed  the  charming  view  in  the  evening,  and  the  sun- 
set about  nine  o'clock,  and  the  glorious  prospect  and  sunrise 
the  next  morning,  when  we  were  awakened  about  half-past 
two  by  the  Alpine  horn.  Very  different  was  our  experience 
from  that  described  by  a  traveler  in  the  following  lines :  — 

Nine  weary  uphill  miles  we  sped 

The  setting  sun  to  see  ; 
Sulky  and  grim  he  went  to  bed. 

Sulky  and  grim  went  we. 
Seven  sleepless  hours  we  tossed  and  then. 

The  rising  sun  to  see. 
Sulky  and  grim  we  rose  again  ; 

Sulk\'  and  grim  rose  he. 

36th  day.  After  witnessing  the  sunrise  with  about  a  hun- 
dred others,  we  began  the  descent  of  the  mountain  on  foot  at 
five  o'clock.  It  was  a  perfectly  delightful  walk  of  some  ten 
miles,  the  weather  was  charming,  the  air  very  still,  and  all  the 
way  down  we  heard  Swiss  melodies  sung  from  time  to  time 
by  Swiss  voices  and  echoed  from  point  to  point.  Many  years 
ago  I  lieard  a  Swiss  company  called  the  Rhiners  sing  the  same 
beautiful  airs,  and  the  recollection  added  to  the  charm. 

We  arrived  at  Weggis  at  half-past  eight  and  took  steamer 
on  Lake  Lucerne  for  Lucerne,  where  we  dined.  In  the  after- 
noon we  went  by  rail  to  Berne,  arriving  at  half-past  nine  in 
the  evening. 

37th  day.  The  views  from  Berne  are  wonderful ;  some  of 
my  acquaintances  assured   me  that  this  is  the  finest  spot  in 


A  DASH  THROUGH  EUROPE.        279 

Europe.  Our  guide  insisted  on  our  watcliing  the  town  clock 
when  it  struck  six,  as  then  a  "  crower  "  would  appear.  The 
Grower's  head  just  managed  to  appear  on  the  face  of  the 
clock,  but  he  was  so  weak  that  he  could  not  crow.  It  was 
explained  that  he  was  out  of  order. 

Starting  at  half-past  seven  in  the  morning  we  went  by  car- 
riage to  Bienne,  by  steamer  through  Lakes  Bienne  and  Neu- 
chatel  to  Yverdon,  and  by  rail  to  Lausanne  on  Lake  Geneva, 
arriving  at  half-past  five  in  the  afternoon. 

38th  day.  We  went  by  steamer  to  Geneva  where  we  hunted 
up  the  church  where  John  Calvin  preached,  I  bought  a  fine 
watch  for  Jennie  [his  step-daughter].  After  dining  and  ar- 
ranging with  the  postmaster  to  have  my  large  carpet-bag  sent 
to  the  Hotel  du  Louvre  in  Paris,  we  took  steamer  to  Vevay. 

39th  day.  We  rode  in  the  banquette  of  the  diligence  from 
Vevay  to  Bulle,  where  we  dined,  and  thence  to  Gessenay,  or 
Saanen  as  named  on  the  maps. 

40th  day.  We  traveled  by  diligence  through  Weissenburg 
to  Thun,  and  thence  by  steamer  on  Lake  Thun  to  Interlachen 
which  is  about  the  most  charming  place  I  have  ever  visited. 

41st  day.  We  went  by  steamer  through  Lake  Brienz  to 
Commune,  where  we  dined,  and  thence  to  Meiringen.  Here 
we  took  horses  and  a  guide  and  had  a  wonderful  ride  to  a 
place  near  the  Grimsel  Pass,  where  we  stoi)ped  for  the  night 
at  a  hovel  of  a  tavern. 

42d  day.  We  started  from  the  Mountain  House  near  the 
Grimsel  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  weather  looked 
threatening  and  the  clouds  foreboded  rain,  but  the  Captain 
said  that  it  would  be  a  field-day  with  us,  rain  or  shine. 
About  seven  o'clock  it  began  to  shower.  I  felt  quite  un- 
comfortable, the  Captain  looked  blue  but  said  nothing,  and 
our  guide,  who  was  accustomed  to  this  sort  of  weather,  ap- 
peared quite  unconcerned.  After  riding  some  time  in  silence 
and  crossing  some  difficult  places,  the  Captain's  horse  fell. 
The  Captain  was  not  much  hurt,  although  at  first  he  said  that 


280        A  DASH  THROUGH  EUROPE. 

he  thought  his  "  leg  was  cmckit."  We  moved  on,  I  being  in 
the  advance.  After  having  passed  with  difliculty  througli  tlie 
deep,  softened  snow  of  one  ravine,  and  coming  to  another,  I 
stopped  my  horse  and  suggested  to  the  guide  that  we  should 
cross  at  a  point  higher  up.  He,  however,  seized  my  horse's 
bridle  and  urged  the  animal  forward  ;  but  soon  sank,  Avith 
wild  ejaculations,  nearly  out  of  sight,  and  my  horse  followed 
suit,  the  rain  having  washed  out  a  cavity  under  the  snow.  I 
rolled  off  my  beast  and  across  the  ravine  in  the  best  manner  I 
could,  getting  very  wet  in  the  operation.  Other  guides  com- 
ing up  succeeded  in  pulling  out  my  guide  and  my  horse  in 
undamaged  condition. 

We  traveled  on  through  the  pass  where,  in  August,  1799, 
occurred  one  of  the  most  remarkable  skirmishes  recorded  in 
history.  How  the  French  troops  were  able  to  dislodge  the 
opposing  Austrians  and  force  their  way  through  this  pass,  is 
a  wonder  to  the  traveler  who  views  the  region,  although  his 
guide-book  gives  a  full  account  of  the  fight. 

About  the  time  we  came  in  sight  of  the  Rhone  Glacier,  the 
rain  had  nearly  ceased.  We  both  felt  a  great  deal  better  and 
the  thermometer  of  our  spirits  rose ;  my  companion  began  to 
whistle  and  I  began  to  sing.  We  were  in  a  merry  mood  when 
we  reached  the  good  St.  Gothard  Inn  at  Andermatt  at  half- 
past  five  in  the  afternoon.  After  a  bath,  a  hearty  supper  and 
writing  letters  to  my  family,  I  went  to  bed  and  was  able  to 
sleep  without  rocking. 

43d  day.  We  started  in  the  afternoon  at  half-past  two  in 
the  coupe  of  the  diligence  on  a  wonderful  ride  down  the 
mountain.  It  was  twilight  the  whole  night  long.  My  com- 
panion slept  soundly,  but  the  scenery  was  too  delightful  for 
me  to  waste  any  time  in  slumber. 

44th  day.  We  passed  Bellinzona  about  midnight,  Luzano 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  beautiful  Como  and  the  lovely 
lake  of  the  same  name  about  seven,  and  reached  Milan  at  half- 
past  nine.     Here  after  a  very  pleasant  trip  together  of  fourteen 


A  DASH  THROUGH  EUROPE.        281 

days,  Captain  La  Pistori  and  I  parted  company,  this  being  the 
headquarters  of  his  General  of  Division. 

I  visited,  besides  other  places  in  Milan,  the  Cathedral,  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  which  I  saw  in  my  journey. 

45th  day.  I  left  ]\Iilan  at  half-past  seven  in  the  morning, 
going  by  rail  to  Treviglio,  and  by  diligence  to  Brescia;  thence 
to  Verona.  Thence  in  the  afternoon  I  passed  by  rail  through 
Vicenza  and  Padua  and  reached  Venice  at  half-past  eight  in 
the  evening.  Disembarking  at  the  depot,  I  looked  around  for 
an  omnibus,  but  saw  none.  A  gondolier  accosted  me,  and 
giving  him  the  name  of  the  hotel  where  I  wished  to  go,  I 
stepped  into  his  pretty  gondola  and  was  poled  away  through 
the  canals.  Whenever  we  approached  another  canal  entering 
ours,  my  gondolier  sang  out  orders  to  the  possible  gondolier 
coming  out  of  this  canal,  to  keep  to  the  right  or  left  as  the 
case  might  be.  Often  on  passing  the  corner  we  found  no 
such  gondolier  to  receive  these  orders,  and  hence  the  proced- 
ure at  first  seemed  funny  to  me ;  but  further  experience 
showed  that  the  cautionary  words  were  always  advisable. 

46th  day.  The  Anniversary  of  American  Independence, 
about  the  grandeur  of  which  I  endeavored  to  give  my  guide 
some  idea,  but  he  did  not  appear  to  comprehend  the  term 
"  Independence."  I  felt  strong  impulses  to  utter  one  loud 
shout  in  honor  of  the  day,  but  recollecting  that  I  was  in  Aus- 
trian Italy,  I  refrained. 

I  saw  many  interesting  places,  but  that  which  I  was  espe- 
cially desirous  of  seeing,  was  the  store  and  former  residence 
of  Shylock.  This  place  was  pointed  out  to  me  by  my  guide, 
and  if  it  was  not  really  used  by  Shylock,  it  looked  as  if  it 
ought  to  have  been  ;  for  the  building  is  now  occupied  as  an 
auction-room  for  second-hand  and  cast-off  clothing. 

47th  day.  Returned  to  Milan  by  the  route  which  I  took 
coming  to  Venice,  seeing  many  wheat-fields  and  corn-fields, 
olive-groves  and  vineyards,  and  noticing  especially  the  fre- 
quent irrigation-canals. 


282        A  DASH  THROUGH  EUROPE. 

48tli  day.  Left  jMilan  in  the  morning  in  the  diligence,  hav- 
ing a  seat  in  the  banquette.  When  passing  out  of  the  city,  a 
team  of  horses  crossing  the  street  struck  our  horses,  knocking 
down  the  wheelers  and  throwing  the  postilion  to  the  ground. 
No  jDarticular  damage  was  done  and  we  soon  continued  our 
journey.  Rode  five  hours  by  diligence  and  five  hours  by  rail, 
passing  through  Novara,  Vercelli,  Santhia  and  Chivasso,  and 
arriving  at  Turin  at  six  in  the  evening. 

49th  day.  Left  Turin  on  the  train  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  and  arrived  at  Susa  at  nine.  Left  here  in  the  coupe 
of  the  diligence  at  half-past  nine  for  Mont  Cenis  Pass.  Be- 
fore we  reached  the  summit  it  became  intensely  cold,  and 
although  the  coupe  was  closed  and  I  had  on  my  top  coat  and 
dressing  gown,  I  was  quite  uncomfortable. 

50th  day.  Arrived  at  St.  Jean  at  nine  in  the  morning. 
Took  the  train  at  a  quarter-j)ast  ten  and  arrived  at  Aix  at 
quarter-past  one.  Took  a  steamer  here  and  passed  through 
the  Lake  du  Bourget  and  the  River  Rhone,  landing  at  half- 
past  three.  The  voyage  on  this  little  lake  and  the  ditch 
(called  by  courtesy  a  "  river  ")  was  the  funniest  steamboating 
which  I  ever  experienced.  The  stream  was  so  narrow  that 
men,  holding  lines  attached  to  our  boat,  ran  along  the  banks 
hauling  us  around  the  bends.  We  had  no  mishaps,  but  at 
many  places  I  saw  deep  furrows  where  the  bows  of  the  steam- 
boats had  dug  into  the  banks.  Children  ran  alongside  beg- 
ging for  money  an4  scrambling  for  the  sous  which  the  pas- 
sengers occasionally  tossed  into  the  grass. 

At  our  landing  place  we  passed  through  a  custom-house. 
My  baggage  was  examined  by  a  woman.  Then,  at  Charabery, 
we  took  a  train  in  the  afternoon,  and  reached  Lyons  at  seven. 

51st  day.  Leaving  Lyons  in  the  cars  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  I  reached  Paris,  316  miles  distant,  at  half  past  six 
in  the  evening.  I  stopped  at  the  Hotel  du  Louvre,  where  I 
had  a  fine  room,  a  fine  bed,  a  clock  upon  the  mantlepiece,  and 
called  the  servants  by  an  electric  wire. 


A   DASH   THROUGH   EUROPE.  283 

52d  to  58th  day.  At  Paris.  With  a  guide,  and  with 
American  friends  whom  I  met  here,  I  made  the  usual  tours 
in  and  around  this  wonderful  city,  and  my  impressions  of  the 
place  are  probably  much  the  same  as  those  of  other  Americans 
who  visit  here.  The  Parisians  appear  to  lead  a  butterfly-life, 
living  as  though  the  world  was  made  merely  for  enjoyment, 
and  having  no  thought  of  anything  beyond.  Although  the 
numerous  suicides  in  the  Seine  indicate  another  side  to  their 
life,  this  is  but  little  apparent  to  the  visitor  except  the  pur- 
suit of  pleasure. 

I  was  somewhat  disappointed  with  the  cemetery  of  Pere  la 
Chaise  which,  on  the  whole,  is  inferior  to  Mount  Auburn  in 
Cambridge  or  Forest  Hills  in  Roxbury.  My  guide  told  me 
that  many  of  the  floral  decorations  on  the  tombstones  were 
made  of  ox-horns.  But  the  Tomb  of  Napoleon,  in  the  Hotel 
des  Invalides,  I  found  magnificent,  and  I  viewed  it  with 
solemn  admiration.  I  spent  a  day  sTt  Versailles,  but  to  de- 
scribe the  beauties  of  the  palace,  the  grounds  and  the  remark- 
able collections  of  paintings  and  other  objects  of  interest, 
would  require  a  volume.  One  evening  I  went  to  the  Jardin 
Mabille,  where  Paris  seemed  to  be  fully  represented.  The 
dancing  was  very  good  and  the  music  charming.  On  inquir- 
ing of  my  guide  whether  gentlemen  brought  their  wives  and 
daughters  to  this  place,  he  replied,  "  Oui,  moussieu,  why 
not  ?  The  finest  and  best  people  in  Paris  come  here  to  see  the 
dancing." 

With  resident  friends  I  visited  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  had 
dinner  there  and  rode  through  the  woods  which  were  lighted 
with  thousands  of  gaslights,  presenting  an  enchanting  appear- 
ance. There  were  several  outdoor-theatres  with  continuous 
performances,  having  real  trees  and  lawns  for  scenery  and 
very  charming  in  the  effects. 

59th  day.  Left  Paris  by  rail  at  a  quarter  to  ten  in  the 
morning  and  readied  Boulogne  at  half-past  three  in  the  after- 
noon.    Here  we  showed  our  passports  and  obtained  permis- 


284  A   DASH   THROUGH   EUROPE. 

sion  to  leave  France.  We  crossed  the  Channel,  in  two  hours, 
to  Folkestone,  and  reached  London  at  a  quarter  before  ten  at 
night. 

60th  to  6 2d  day.  At  London.  I  spent  three  days  in 
London  quite  busily,  during  which  time  I  visited  Hampton 
Court  Palace  where  I  enjoyed  more  especially  the  picture 
gallery. 

63d  day.  Leaving  London  at  eight  in  the  morning,  I  went 
to  Windsor  and  attended  a  "  choral  festival  "  in  aid  of  the 
"  Society  for  the  Relief  of  Widows  and  Orphans  of  Organists 
and  of  Lay  Clerks  of  Cathedral  and  Collegiate  Choirs."  The 
concert  was  very  small  potatoes,  and  I  left  before  it  was  half 
finished  and  went  through  the  Castle.  At  quarter-past  two  I 
took  the  train  for  Oxford,  arriving  at  four  and  going  to  the 
Mitre  Hotel.  An  election  for  Parliament  was  being  held, 
and  there  was  great  excitement  in  which  I  shared  to  some 
extent,  for  one  candidate  —  and  liis  headquarters  were  at 
the  Mitre  —  was  William  Makepeace  Thackeray.  He  was, 
however,  defeated  by  his  opponent,  Mr.  Cardwell,  by  a  few 
votes. 

64th  day.  Took  the  train  at  quarter-past  eight  in  the  morn- 
ing and  arrived  at  Birmingham  at  eleven.  My  letter  of  intro- 
duction in  this  city  was  to  a  leading  manufacturer,  a  member 
of  Parliament,  but  I  did  not  see  him  as  he  was  very  sick. 
(He  died  on  the  29th.)  Left  Birmingham  about  noon  for 
Liverpool  and  thence  went  by  steamer  to  Dublin. 

65th  day.  Arrived  in  Dublin  at  half-past  seven  in  the 
morning.  Hired  a  "  jaunting  car  "  and  rode  about  the  city 
until  noon.  Went  by  train  to  Belfast  and  there,  after  a  brief 
stay,  took  steamer  for  Glasgow. 

66th  day.  Arrived  at  Greenock  at  four  in  the  morning 
and  went  by  rail  to  Glasgow.  Thence,  after  a  pleasant  trip 
on  the  Clyde,  took  the  train  to  Balloch.  By  steamer  I 
passed  through  the  whole  length  of  Loch  Lomond,  and  then 
rode  to  Inverary. 


A  DASH  THROUGH  EUROPE.        285 

No  part  of  the  world,  except  New  England,  could  be  so 
interesting  to  me  as  this  neighborhood  which  the  genius  of 
Walter  Scott  has  filled  with  beauty  and  romance. 

At  the  hotel  at  Inverary  were  some  young  rowdies  who 
seemed  determined  to  disturb  somebody,  and  who  became 
very  anxious,  when  I  had  retired,  to  obtain  my  boots  to  brush. 
After  they  had  called  me  to  my  bedroom-door  several  times 
with  this  pretext,  I  gave  them  a  hearty  invitation  to  walk  in 
and  take  the  boots.  They  declined  the  invitation,  and  I  was 
not  annoyed  again. 

67th  and  68th  days.  Returned  by  stage  to  the  head  of 
Loch  Lomond  and  took  the  steamer  to  Inversnaid.  Thence 
went  by  private  carriage  to  Loch  Katrine  and  sailed  on  the 
steamer  Roh  Roy  to  the  Trossachs  hotel.  Every  mile  or  so 
some  spot  was  pointed  out  which  Walter  Scott  has  made 
famous.  After  dinner  I  took  the  stage  to  Stirling,  where  I 
spent  the  next  day,  Sunday.  • 

69th  day.  Went  by  rail  in  the  morning  to  Edinburgh,  the 
most  beautiful  city  which  I  have  yet  visited,  and  spent  the 
day  sight-seeing. 

70th  day.  Went  to  Carlisle  and  walked  about  the  city; 
then  proceeded  to  Manchester,  where  I  arrived  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  took  a  cab  and  went  to  three 
places  before  I  could  find  lodgings.  I  finally  stopped  at  a 
private  house,  where  I  was  kindly  received  and  pleasantly 
entertained. 

71st  day.  I  again  visited  the  Exhibition  of  "  The  Arts 
Treasures  "  and  tried  hard  to  view  all  the  beautiful  pictures, 
but  failed  for  want  of  time.  It  seems  to  me  that  no  country 
except  England  could  contain  such  a  magnificent  collection 
of  paintings  and  statuary;  and  probably  this  is  the  finest 
exhibition  of  the  kind  ever  held. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  Liverpool. 

7  2d  day.  Except  for  doing  some  shopping,  I  rested  in 
quiet  this  day  for  the  first  time  since  I  left  home. 


286  A   DASH   THROUGH   EUKOPE. 

73d  day.  I  visited  the  ancient  town  of  Chester  and  walked 
on  the  okl  walls  around  the  town.  Returned  in  the  after- 
noon to  Liverpool,  and  made  several  calls  in  the  evening. 

74th  to  86th  day.  On  the  ocean.  At  noon,  Saturday, 
August  1,  I  went  on  board  of  the  steamer  Canada,  Captain 
Shannon,  which  got  under  way  at  half-fjast  four.  There  were 
in  all  one  hundred  and  thirty  passengers,  among  them  Miss 
Hosmer,  the  sculptress,  the  Bishop  of  Kentucky,  and  several 
friends  of  mine.  On  Thursday,  August  13,  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  I  landed  at  the  wharf  in  East  Boston.  And 
although  I  have  had  a  most  pleasant  journey  and  seen  many 
wonderful  things,  yet  the  toil  of  sight-seeing  has  been  very 
great,  and  the  happiest  day  of  the  whole  trip  is  this  day  —  the 
day  on  which  I  arrive  home. 

I  have  been  absent  eighty-five  days,  passed  in  the  different 
countries  about  as  follows  :  — 

24  days  in  England,  9  days  in  France, 

4     "      "  Belginm,  .    1     "      "  Ireland, 
4     "      "  Germany,  4     "      "  Scotland, 

10     "      "  Switzerland,  23     "     on  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
6     "      "  Italy, 

Switzerland  and  Scotland  were  to  me  the  most  interesting 
and  beautiful. 

And  I  have  travelled  the  following  distances  :  — 

From  Boston  to  Halifax  by  steamer, 

"      Halifax  to  Liverpool         " 

"      Liverjiool  to  London  by  Northern  Eailroad, 
In  London  and  environs,  not  less  than 
From  London  to  Ascot  and  back, 

"  "         to  Antwerp  by  steamer, 

"      Antwerp  to  Brussels  by  railroad, 

"      Brussels  to  Waterloo  and  back  by  stage, 

"  "         to  Cologne  by  railroad, 

"      Cologne  to  Mayence  by  steamer  on  the  Khine, 

*'      Mayence  (or  Castel)  to  Frankfort  by  railroad, 

"      Frankfort  to  Heidelberg  by  railroad, 


368  miles 

2,440 

230 

100 

56 

210 

26 

28 

149 

127 

27 

54 

A  DASH   THROUGH  EUROPE.  287 

From  Heidelberg  to  Baden  Baden,  46  miles. 
"      Baden  Baden  to  Friedrichsliafen,  principally  by 

railroad,  140  " 
"  Friedriclishafen  to  Zurich  by  steamer  and  rail- 
road, 1-20  " 
"  Zurich  to  toj^  of  Mt.  Eigi  by  steamer  and  horse- 
back, 35  " 
"  Top  of  Mt.  Eigi  to  Weggis  on  foot,  10  " 
"  Weggis  to  Berne  by  steamer  and  railroad,  100  " 
"  Berne  to  Lausanne  by  steamer  and  railroad,  120  " 
"  Lausanne  to  Geneva,  thence  to  Yevay  by  steamer,  100  " 
"  Vevay  to  Saanen  by  diligence,  45  " 
"  Saanen  to  Interlachen  by  diligence  and  steamer,  50  " 
"  Interlachen  to  the  Grimsel  by  steamer  and  horse- 
back, 50  " 
"  The  Grimsel  to  Andermatt  by  horseback,  20  " 
"  Andermatt  to  Lake  Como  by  diligence,  110  " 
"  Como  to  Milan  by  railroad,  28  " 
"  Milan  to  Venice  and  back  by  diligence  and  rail- 
road, 320  " 
"  Milan  to  Turin  by  diligence  and  railroad,  90  " 
"  Turin  to  Susa  by  railroad,  35  " 
"     Susa  to  Lyons  over  the  Alps  by  diligence,  steamer 

and  railroad,  190  " 

"      Lyons  to  Paris  by  railroad,  316  " 

"      Paris  to  Boulogne  by  railroad,  170  " 

"      Boulogne  to  Folkestone  by  steamer,  30  " 

"      Folkestone  to  London  by  railroad,  50  " 

"      London  to  Hampton  Court  and  back  by  railroad,  24  " 

"      London  to  Liverpool  via  Windsor,  Oxford,  etc.,  230  " 

"      Livei'pool  to  Dublin  by  steamer,  138  " 

"      Dubhn  to  Belfast  by  railroad,  113  " 

"      Belfast  to  Glasgow  by  steamer,  129  " 

"      Glasgow  to  Balloch,  by  steamer  and  railroad,  20  " 

"      Balloch  to  upper  end  of  Loch  Lomond  by  steamer,  10  " 
"      Upper  end  of  Loch  Lomond  to  Inversnaid    by 

steamer,  5  " 

"      Inversnaid  to  Loch  Katrine  by  coach,  5  " 

Through  Loch  Katrine  to  the  Trossachs,  5  " 

From  Trossachs  to  Stirling  by  stage,  27  " 

"      Stirling  to  Edinburgh  by  railroad,  36  " 


101 

miles 

90 

u 

31 

u 

32 

u 

20 

(( 

2,808 

u 

288        A  DASH  THROUGH  EUROPE. 

From  Edinburgh  to  Carlisle  by  railroad, 
"      Carlisle  to  Preston  by  railroad, 
"      Preston  to  Manchester  by  railroad, 
"      Manchester  to  Liverpool  by  railroad, 
"      Liverpool  to  Chester  and  back, 
"      Liverpool  to  Halifax  and  Boston  by  steamer, 

The  whole  distance  travelled  in  85  days,  about  9,820 

Averaging  about  116  miles  per  day. 

The  cost  of  my  journey  was : 

My  individual  expenses  (about  S7.83  per  diem),  S665  CO 
Cost  of  presents  bought,  218  12 

Total,  ^883  72 


A.  D.  HODGES, 


Chief    of    Squadron     Roxbury   Horse  Guards. 


THE   CIVIL    WAR   PERIOD. 


Y  father,  like  most  Republicans  at  the  North,  for  a 
long  time  was  unwilling  to  believe  that  the  South- 
ern States  would  secede  and  take  up  arms.  He 
could  see  no  possible  justification  or  sense  in  such 
a  procedure.  None  of  their  constitutional  rights  had  been 
infringed  by  the  decision  of  the  people,  expressed  at  a  fair 
election,  that  slavery  should  be  restricted  within  its  existing 
bounds,  which  was  the  policy  of  the  makers  of  the  Constitu- 
tion; and  in  an  armed  contest  the  Soutli  was  plainly  no  match 
for  the  richer  and  more  populous  North.  But  when  it  be- 
came evident  that  either  slavery  must  be  extended  or  seces- 
sion permitted,  or  the  Union  maintained  by  force,  there  was 
no  hesitancy  on  his  part  as  to  what  ought  to  be  done.  As  he 
saw  it,  the  extension  of  slavery  was  an  unpermissible  crime 
and  peaceable  disunion  a  geographical  and  military  impossibil- 
ity. Hence  it  was  the  plain  duty  of  the  national  executive  to 
compel  the  South  to  obey  the  laws  of  the  land  at  whatever 
cost. 

He  was  strongly  opposed  to  war,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
waste  of  blood  and  money,  but  also  because  of  the  other  ter- 
rible evils  which  it  necessarily  engendered.  He  had  no  hal- 
lucinations that  the  contest  would  be  ended  in  ninety  days  or 
in  any  other  brief  period,  as  was  fondly  imagined  by  many  in 
the  beginning.  But  if  war  must  come,  it  was  better  that  it 
should  come  at  once  and  so  be  ended  as  soon  as  possible. 

Had  he  been  of  military  age,  he  surely  would  have  entered 
the  army,  having  superabundant  loyalty  in  his  heart  and 
fighting  blood  in  his  veins.  Being  debarred  by  his  years  he 
contributed  lavishly  of  his  time  and  his  money  for  the  pres- 

(289) 


290  THE   CIVIL    WAR   PERIOD. 

erviition  of  the  Union,  cutting  down  his  personal  expenses 
that  he  might  have  more  to  give  to  the  government.  I  re- 
member the  evening  when  he  smoked  his  last  cigar  —  it  was 
just  after  Sumter  had  been  fired  on.  It  was  not  right,  he 
said,  for  him  to  indulge  in  luxuries  when  his  country  was  in 
need  ;  and  he  never  smoked  again. 

Fort  Sumter  was  fired  on  by  the  Southern  batteries  on 
April  12,  1861,  and  three  days  later  the  people  of  the  North 
read  in  their  morning  papers  the  call  of  President  Lincoln  for 
75,000  militia  to  suppress  combinations  obstructing  the  exe- 
cution of  the  laws  in  seven  of  the  Southern  States.  On  April 
20,  father  met  with  other  gentlemen  of  Roxbury  for  the  pur- 
pose of  forming  a  military  organization  which  should  co-oper- 
ate with  the  government  and  aid  in  raising  and  equipping 
troops.  Six  days  later  the  Roxbury  Horse  Guards  —  named 
in  memory  of  the  Providence  Horse  Guards  —  with  40  men 
in  line,  were  being  drilled  by  father  in  cavalry  tactics.  Soon 
the  ranks  were  filled  to  the  maximum.  During  the  six  months 
of  1861,  May  to  October,  when  out-of-doors  exercises  were 
possible,  the  Guards  drilled  37  times  in  26  weeks,  and  held 
46  meetings  in  all  during  the  season. 

The  organization  contained  many  of  the  most  influential 
citizens  of  Roxbury,  and  performed  most  useful  work  during 
the  war.  In  the  ranks  were  men  too  old  for  active  service, 
yet  they  drilled  strenuously,  rode  valiantly  in  parades,  and  did 
all  that  was  possible  for  them  to  do  in  aid  of  the  national 
cause.  There  were  others  of  lesser  years  who  here  received 
their  first  instruction  in  military  tactics  and  afterwards  won 
laurels  on  the  battle  field.  That  Roxbury's  quota  was  filled 
whenever  a  call  came  for  volunteers,  was  due  in  great  part  to 
the  efforts  of  this  association.  Company  after  company  was 
raised,  uniformed,  transported  to  camp  and  provisioned.  One 
of  them.  Company  B  of  the  39th  Massachusetts  Infantry,  was 
named  the  Hodges  Light  Guard  in  grateful  honor  of  the  com- 
mander of  the  Horse  Guards.     The  families  of  the  volunteers 


A.  D.  HODGES, 

Chief   of    Squadron.    Roxbury   Horse  Guards, 


THE   CIVIL   WAR   PERIOD.  291 

were  cared  for,  the  feeble  were  helped,  the  sick  were  nursed, 
the  dead  were  buried.  In  all  possible  ways  the  soldiers  were 
honored  and  befriended,  —  before  they  left  home,  while  they 
were  absent,  and  when  they  returned. 

So  long  as  the  Horse  Guards  remained  an  independent 
organization  "  Colonel "  Hodges  held  the  command  with  the 
title  of  Chief  of  Squadron,  and  devoted  an  immense  amount 
of  time  and  energy  —  and  not  a  little  money — to  the  perform- 
ance of  his  duties.  In  the  fall  of  1864  the  company  became 
incorporated  in  the  State  militia,  and  then  father  resigned, 
thinking  that  he  had  done  his  share  and  preferring  that  a 
younger  man  should  have  his  place.  The  organization  is 
still  active  as  Company  D  of  the  First  Battalion  of  Cavalry, 
M.  V.  M. 

There  were  several  other  associations  of  "  home  guards  "  in 
Roxbury  during  the  war.  The  school  boys  also  formed  mili- 
tary companies,  and  the  children  too  small  to  handle  muskets 
wielded  nimble  and  efficient  drumsticks.  All  these  frequently 
united  in  processions  wliich  paraded  through  the  streets, 
drumming  up  recruits  and  performing  escort  duty  for  the 
volunteers  who  were  going  into  camp  or  starting  for  the  front, 
or  perhaps  being  carried  to  their  graves.  It  is  a  common  oc- 
currence with  processions  that  the  actual  time  of  beginning 
to  move  is  delayed  long  after  the  hour  designated.  The 
delay  is  generally  unnecessary  and  always  tiresome  to  those 
who  are  promptly  on  hand.  Father  had  a  decided  opinion  on 
this  point,  and  when  in  the  course  of  time  it  came  about  at 
the  preliminary  meeting  that  he  was  chosen  Chief  Marshal,  he 
announced  that  the  procession  would  start  exactly  at  the  time 
decided  upon,  "  even  if  no  one  is  on  hand  except  the  Chief 
Marshal  and  the  band."  Accordingly,  when  the  parade  was 
held,  the  marshal  waved  his  baton  on  the  minute,  the  band 
struck  up,  and  the  procession  moved,  although  several  com- 
panies had  not  arrived,  orders  being  left  for  these  to  fall  in 
at  the  rear  of  the  procession  when  they  caught  up  with  it. 


292 


THE  CIVIL   WAR   PERIOD. 


After  that,  despite  a  little  growling  by  the  belated,  father  was 
elected  Chief  Marshal  on  each  succeeding  occasion,  so  long  as 
he  could  be  induced  to  accept ;  and  on  each  occasion  the  pro- 
cession started  on  time. 

Those  four  years  of  intense  excitement  were  also  years  of 
sorrow  in  our  family.     Father  had  seven  sons.     The  oldest 

To  all  whom  it  may  concern:  2y  JcU^^^^ 

No  ^.^./^  frpljosl  P^s^'s  ^.^  ^^ 

linoro   Se,    Thai  the  hearers,  iC^.....<^^^^;^if5??Z^^^ 

(^^:dC^r<'.<^,  haw  permission  to  pas^  ovetfany  hn^e  or  feryy  to  Virginia, 


and  within  the  lines,  and  back,  for  the  purpose  of  ^jC£i^^;6^0^:\J'.J^^.. 
being  subject  to  the  inspection  of  guards  or  patrols.  ^^ 

commaod  of  A.  Pouter,  Brig.  Oen.  TJ.  S.  A.,  Provoat  Marslial. 


In  availing  myself  of  the  benefits  of  the  above  pass,  I  do  aolenmly  aiBnn  that  I  am  a  tnie  and  loyal  citizen 
of  the  United  States ;  and  that  I  -will  not  give  aid,  comfort,  or  information  to  the  enemies  of  tho  United  States 
GovcmmcDt  in  any  manner  whatsoever. 


[This  PasB  tv  b«  (Akeo  up  at  its  oxiiimtioD.] 

A   MILITARY   PASS  OF  THE   CIVIL  WAR. 


volunteered  and  was  rejected  by  the  surgeons  on  account  of  a 
weak  heart.  The  next  four  were  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States.  The  two  youngest  were  but  children,  yet  they  were 
always  in  evidence  whenever  there  was  escort  duty  to  be 
done,  —  a  duty  not  without  its  woes ;  for  there  was  a  rough 
"  copperhead  "  element  in  certain  parts  of  the  city,  which  tried 
to  intimidate,  with  yells  or  even  brickbats,  the  smaller  mem- 
bers of  the  processions  when  they  marched  through  their 
haunts. 


THE   CIVIL   WAR   PERIOD.  293 

The  first  son  to  enlist  was  George  Foster  Hodges.  Six  days 
after  the  first  call  for  troops  he  left  the  State  with  the  Fifth 
Massachusetts  Infantry,  marching  in  the  ranks  of  the  Charles- 
town  City  Guards.  He  was  soon  promoted  to  be  lieutenant 
and  paymaster  of  the  regiment.  He  fought  at  the  first  battle 
of  Bull  Run,  carried  his  wounded  and  helpless  colonel  off  the 
field,  and  for  his  gallant  conduct  was  presented  with  a  sword. 
Returning  in  July,  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  in 
less  than  a  month  he  went  out  a  second  time,  as  Adjutant  of 
the  Eighteenth  Massachusetts.  The  following  January,  while 
Avith  his  regiment  at  Camp  Barnes,  Hall's  Hill,  Alexandria, 
Virginia,  he  was  stricken  with  typhoid  fever.  His  father  and 
eldest  brother  hastened  to  him  and  found  him  very  sick  and 
delirious.  On  January  31,  1862,  he  was  awarded  the  Great 
Promotion. 

In  Ills  memory  these  lines,  written  by  Miss  Cora  Kennedy, 
were  printed  in  the  Boston  Evening  Traveller  :  — 

Oh,  glorious  life  that  hath  so  soon  its  ending. 

And  bright  young  heart  now  stilled  forevermore  ; 

Beneath  the  heavy  stroke  of  anguish  bending, 
My  God,  thy  grace  and  pity  we  implore. 

Sadly  we  kneel,  so  sorrowing  and  lonely, 

Wearily  weeping  till  our  eyes  grow  dim  ; 
Thy  comfort,  Lord,  and  thy  compassion  only 

Can  soothe  our  hearts  that  throb  with  thoughts  of  him. 

So  young,  so  strong,  so  full  of  noble  daring, 

And  crowned  with  lionors  from  the  battle-field  ; 

Each  want  and  toil  and  fearful  danger  sharing. 
Till  death,  relentless,  his  departure  sealed. 

Weep  for  the  brave  who  knew  not  how  to  falter 

When  war's  stern  summons  armed  each  manly  band. 

And  raise  within  your  hearts  a  sacred  altar 
To  him  who  died  to  save  his  ruined  land. 

The  hours  of  earthly  pain  and  woe  are  over. 
Though  life  for  him  had  scarcely  yet  begun  ; 

And  holy  ties  around  his  memory  hover. 
The  true,  true  hero,  —  and  the  patriot  son. 


H 
O 

H5 


^ 


COMMISSION   OF  GEORGE  FOSTER   HODGES, 
Paymaster,  5th  Mass.  Infantry. 


(294) 


HIS   SXCELLENOT 

JOHN    A.    ANDREW, 

GOVERNOR     A.Nr>     COMM^NDER-Iisr-CHIEF 

OF  TBB 


uuffd  ana  iiie  au/i/iiefM4>^  0/ tjumt^eciton^"  umom  £Hce  wi^ ve  "aa€~- 
jtect  ^  Cw  /au^  ana  i^^^l^Uum'J  a^veiniTt^  iAe  (2'6imu  e^  {ne^ 
'^ilnifa/  <3r(a4ed,"  a/n</  ot-aam'za^  vn  ine  mannet  iet  fiiUn  m  a 
^^•MMa/  <^u/et  t^Hta/  ^  tne  ^^at  ^S^taUment,  an</  i/a/a/  tKe' 
//  «^   ^  G^,   G^.  ^.  /§^^.  ^  «■<&/  rf«i/  '^^meuJ 

am^ ina  ^fimTru^tccmea  C^JYic^^  m  eacn  SoTn/tafi^  ais  "(0  he  appointed 

by  the  Gotentot  of  the  State"    t^  ufmcn    Cne  tia?ne   ate  jfitnM^^,   ano 

eaed  ^^eaim^Tt^  m  Q/n£initv  u  <o  a!7ui6l  of  ten  TSom/iame<i,  c^ 

Hie  tnaximum  dtze  c^  one  numatea   a^  one^  (^j^U  ana  /ttt^a/es. 

5nb  SSbtltHS,    ^de    ^^edu/en^  «4^  aut^oiixeJ  am/  ieguite</  tue    ^ommonmea/m' 

of  G/^a/Mti>4aaet^  to  £elniin   cet^^i^  ^^-Aotment.)  oMaTtieea   at   a£>teiaia,  to   Mtve  «►' 

a(e  '^^o^imteet  G^{i£(am  (^otes  e/ tde  '^UniteJ  C^taiei.  rfa<^«af  to  t^e  £iui^  am/  te^u£i-- 

ticmi  aoveim'^a  i^  aimu  t^eteo/,  £>t  t^e  tetm  c/  tAtee   veau,  anu^ii  •lotmet  Obic^t^^. 

lotD,   ijmfct,    of,    JOHN  A.  ANDREW,    '^ovetm^t   0/  t^e    'i§om7wn«>eaM' 

e/  0£i^Me&b)efti ,   /uitMomt  to,   i&    Q^(a&me^   aitj  &Sul^   a^t^aiJ  in   me   veilS: 


e/t&:  MASSACHUSETTS  VOlUnTEERS,  caMe/ ^t  am/  er^TuacJ  04  a^t^au/.  '^oa  u>iM 
t^eie/!>te,  uiit^  ^onot  aTu/ fi/e£^  c/uie^at^  t^  </iUiej  o^ Mzit/  ojj^ice.  Gvnd  att  on^i>tiof> 
c^-oetJ  anc/  M/</ietJ  aie  deieA^  a>mmant/eJ  to  o^ey  ^  in.  j^ut  i<u(e  c<Yiaci^J^ ;  and ^a 
tai^voutae^  o£>eive  am/ j£?//oui  <i(ic^  otJet-)  an^/  injiui<:tion4  as  y^u  jAaie, ^tcm  tcjm/ 
to  i&ne,  teceive-Aom  t&  ^e^ic/enl  1^  t^   '%niie</  (^(ate^,  ot  ot&tj,  ^t   6,^etM^ 


'^Um  iind»  my  4a^.  a^J  t4,  l^ai/ </ l^t  'Som^yuwx/U,  I&.     ■/ii:2:ZtilZ^  liijf  <^ 

^>»t>i  >»  <^'  y^>  t/a"  Site/  mi  UixuanJ  t<f/t  ^uttJitJ  anJ  KHyme.  am/ in  1^ 


^<Ct»*-«^ 


COMMISSION   OF  GEORGE  FOSTER  HODGES, 
First  Lieutenant,  18th  Mass.  Infantry. 

(295) 


296  THE   CIVIL   WAR   PERIOD. 

In  August,  1862,  William  Townsend  Hodges  volunteered 
and  was  made  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  C,  Forty-first 
Massachusetts  Infantry,  afterwards  the  Third  Massachusetts 
Cavalry.  He  was  one  of  the  best  swordsmen  and  riders  in  the 
volunteer  army.  He  served  with  his  regiment  in  Louisiana 
and  was  in  all  the  figfhts.  He  Avas  one  of  the  noted  Forlorn 
Hope,  at  the  siege  of  Port  Hudson,  whose  members  were 
promised  medals  by  the  commanding  General,  but  Congress 
has  never  redeemed  the  promise.  He  became  Captain,  and 
was  afterwards  transferred  to  the  Fourth  Massachusetts  Cav- 
alry, and  served  in  Virginia.  He  was  one  of  the  78  Massa- 
chusetts horsemen  —  11  officers  and  67  men  —  who,  on  April 
6,  1865,  at  High  Bridge,  Virginia,  dashed  against  Rosser's 
division  of  cavalry,  killed  or  disabled  more  than  a  hundred 
of  their  foes,  and,  by  sacrificing  themselves,  delayed  Lee's 
retreating  army  and  hastened  the  end  of  the  war.  Thrice, 
each  time  with  thinned  ranks,  this  little  company  charged  the 
enemy;  on  the  last  charge  Captain  Hodges  was  killed.*  He 
was  stripped  of  his  clothes  and  buried  on  the  battle-field,  but 
his  body  was  recovered  and  sent  home.  In  his  uniform  were 
his  vouchers,  the  loss  of  which  compelled  the  red-taped  Treas- 
ury officials  to  refuse  to  pay  his  wages  as  they  were  unable  to 
settle  his  accounts  without  them. 

The  next  son,  Frederick  S.  Hodges  was  Lieutenant  of  an 
Iowa  cavalry  company  which  was  raised  to  repel  a  Confeder- 
ate raid.  Later  he  served  in  the  U.  S.  gunboat  Daylight, 
whose  captain,  by  his  dare-devil  evolutions  before  Fort 
Fisher,  in  1863,  several  times  gave  rise  to  reports  that  the 
vessel  and  crew  had  been  blown  up,  causing  periods  of  dis- 
tress in  our  family  until  the  reports  were  found  to  be  false. 


*  Several  accounts  of  this  fight  have  been  published  :  as  in  the  Ded- 
hani,  Mass.,  Transcript  of  March  22,  1890  ;  the  New  England  Magazine 
of  July,  1891  ;  and  the  Civil  War  Papers  of  the  Massachusetts  Com- 
mandery  of  the  Loyal  Legion  (1900)  ii  :  403. 


GEORGE  FOSTER   HODGES, 
Adjutant  18th  Mass.  Inf. 


WILLIAM   TOWNSEND  HODGES, 
Captain  4th  Mass.  Cav. 


HIS  EXOELLENOT 


JOHN    A.    ANDEEW, 

GOYERNOR      AND      COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

OP   TOS 

<^o  ^^..^  JTA/^^  e/tf2^^  --  ^  (^-^'  ^.^y^, 

W^XXn^,    oft  ^  /,t,yt^J/y  a  J£au.  c/  t/^o' 
'^iinttca  (3/(a{ea  of  Qzmetica,  enactee^  en  tne  iuieTUa^ 

Q^t  to  OM^HOttze  tAe  em/t£>ymini  e/ '^cuinteeU  io  aid' 


•^  ^^J^^-.f^^^t^C:^^\-j2^  ^^.SL^aij  Data    G-Zc^,  ifnatt   ccmmMaion  tne   &'ieu/  aiS 
*  --^ — <Svia^ anJ  ^om/uiTm  ^J^iccU  teaiMiie  <£>!■  e4e  mu<^ 

^o^7iieetd. 

^Hb  ^btrtas,  ^%  ^le^iJent  ^cui  auf'notucea  ana  feauitea  tue  ^omvumuicaaA  e^ 
Q^^a/jac^ttdell,)  (o  /utniii/i  cctiacn  J^^imeni:}  ot'Oamaea  a^  a/otiJoiJ,  unc/et  ar^ 
acccti&niT  to  tAe  /itov^coiul  c/  aaia  &tct,  to  aetve  v>i  tde  '^t^oMTiteez  Q'futkatv  Q^otce^ 
c/  i^e  ^nifec/  (Stated,  <ia^ect  to  tne  tamd  ana  teaufa^icn^  aevetninjf  tue  atmu.  tA.eteoA 
Alt  t^  tetm  c/  iMce  veat^,  unMd  Docnei  duicnaMS. 

^Ofo,  Cl^Cnftre,  cS^JOHN  a.  ANDREW,  ^^vetn^c/t^e  ^SommonmeaM 
of  G'/la/joc^ii-iett^ ,  /lauuant  to  t^e  Q^t^tifu  anc^  {Slufy  a^!-e<)aij  tk  me  vettS, 
<&  neteeii  ati/ioini  yon  Cy'c^r-*^  Q^Le«c/^4irt<a-c<.^  t<Z.  ^^6^  ^n^  v^f^'-cA   ^tLyi,utA..eM^ 


c/  t^  MASSACHUSETTS  VOLUNTEERS,  caMt/ ^  anJ  ot^niaec/  a^  ajoudait^.  ^oa  u>iM 
tdele/oie,  u'itd  donot  an<^ fi^/ity.  c&jc^ai^e  tde  <24/W  e^ aau^  of^fiee.  &^  off  ^feuofi 
c&ceu  aTiJ  Ao/c/ieu  ate  ^le^^  comman(^c^  to  o/e^  ^^M  in  yoat  aau/  ea/iacct^ y  otu/ ^out 
wi/^  voatae^  o£ietve  anJ  ioffifut  aac^  clc^M  anJ  imttactioju  aJ  ^a  a^atf,^totn  time/ 
to  ti»ie.   tecen-e  /torn   t^    ^leaiJmt  o/  t^  ^UnUec^  ^tale^,  ot  ol^eu,  ^ut  M/tetioi^ 

<&v^  anJc  my  ^ar.d.  and  d,  <«^//<i&  '^ommo^u^Jil  t^      «^  ^  a^ 

/     tA^^^Zl^U^       ^^.^„e/<..  ^,y<.».^<— ^^'('-•^"'^'^-^-^■^^        ,W,W/^ 

^y  S&>  Srceiiituy  '^'  ^ctf^iot. 

COMMISSION   OF  WILLIAM   TOWNSEND   HODGES, 
First  Lieutenant,  41st  Mass.  infantry. 

(297) 


HIS    EXCELLKNCT 

JOHN    A.    ANDEEW, 

GOVERNOK     AND     COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

OF    THB 

C0intn0nlueaUJ  of  Passacjusetts, 


trCaS,  oft  u  /.untJeJ  /j  a  /aiv  c/  tls/ 
'^/>hUc/  Q//a/cJ  (>/  Gimettca,  enaciec^  on  me  iwenlu- 
de<^7iJ c/a>f  (/  Ju/'j^,  (S/  ^.  /S*^/.  en(^/u/  '■&€«/ 
G'Ccl  <e  aulnouse  ific  cm/iffiument  of  '^c^etunteeu  ie  aii^ 
in  cn/oJctTm  me  utir>J  a7ia  /tu>/^>cten^  /tufiuc  /tto/teiiu,'' 
tna(  tne    ^oi'etnt>t<l   cf  &Ya<ed  /utniiifyn^  '^tfMnteet-3 

G/faj^ ana  x3om/ianja  Cyfficet4  teguHi^e  £/i'iAe  daia' 
^^o/an/celd. 

^nb  ^SbtmS,  ^%  jSieJu^enl  ntM  autfioUiCd  and  te^nitid  /ne  vemnwnweallu  <^?5 
(2vCa£acfiaJcit<i  to  /Mnt^A  eetiain  J:^e-a(me}t/,i  otaani,ca  a<i  a/oieJata,  undf-i  and  nca?u&ng 
fo  <ne  /itovi^urm  o/  daia  (2'€cf,  io  ^eti'e  in  fnc  "thi^in^eet  G/u'iiatu  /^<v  c/  me  '^Uni/t& 
(^<fate:),  da&c(  to  me  /aiM  ana  ieiaula/ianil  iMvctntna  I  fie  atmu  /4eie^/,  £/i  me  teinf 
^  miee  weau,  unfe/J  ae^net  cU<ieuata<S. 

^Ottt,  C^errfOre,  of,  JOHN  a.  ANDREW,  '^cvetnel  cfdc^emmon,i»!a/'t4' 
c/  G/ui^acAtbiel^ ,   //iiUaan/  -fo  ^fie  Q't<tl/iou(u  and  S3)ii^n  ajk'ejata  in    me   fej/ea,  ai> 


r/  t^-e  MASSACHDSETira  VOLimTEERS,  eaffeJ ^t  ant/  ctaajiixee/ ' al  a/cieJaii/.  ^m  wiM 
meu&le,  tm<A  npnot  a^ta  udeu/M  dueuas^e  ific  mtticj  t>/ jaid  e/fice.  G€na  aft  ii^tioi^ 
Ojm^-eM  <tma  ^u/tetJ-ote  n^ieim  eommanaea  /i>  oven  noii-  in  notU  daid  eaAacfiy ;  ana  wit^ 
wia  noicueff  o^et^  and jfynoif  dacn  olaeu  ana  in-iltiic/ioni  at  you  dnaff, /wm  time  fff 
O'me,  teceive ^m  tue  ^aeju/etii  <hf  (ne  '^/nitea  Gria/cJ, '  e>e  otucu,  neat  nii/ieiiot  o^ieeiJ^ 


,y    //,    <^o. 


cMcldaly  of  a,  <^^ 


aM 


COMMISSION   OF  WILLIAM  TOWNSEND  HODGES, 
Captain  4th  Mass.  Cavalry. 


^(  298  ) 


COMMISSION   OF  ALMON   DANFORTH  HODGES, 
Second  Lieutenant,  42d  Mass.  Infantry. 


JR., 


(299  ) 


300  THE   CIVIL   WAR   PERIOD. 

The  fourth  volunteer  was  private,  in  1862  to  1863,  in  a 
nine-months  regiment,  and  at  the  end  of  his  service  was 
brought  home  so  sick  with  typhoid  fever  that  his  life  was  de- 
spaired of.  But  he  recovered  and  in  1864  served  as  Lieutenant 
in  a  hundred-days  regiment.  Then  he  was  offered  and  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  First  Lieutenant  in  a  special  cavalry 
corps  which  was  to  be  called  the  President's  Body  Guard, 
and  was  designed  to  act  particularly  against  the  guerillas 
operating  in  Virginia  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  District  of 
Columbia.  As  Congress  did  not  see  fit  to  authorize  the 
formation  of  this  corps,  the  project  never  materialized. 

During  these  strenuous  years  my  oldest  brother  married, 
and  in  due  time  a  cliild  was  born.  The  event  occurred  in 
the  forenoon,  while  father  was  in  the  bank,  but  he  was  at 
once  notified.  The  coming  of  his  first  grandchild  was  a  joy 
to  him  and  a  matter  of  pride,  a  fact  to  be  communicated 
to  his  neighbors,  —  and  he  had  his  own  way  of  making  this 
communication.  At  the  close  of  business  he  went  home  to 
Roxbury  as  usual.  On  alighting  from  the  street  car  at  the 
foot  of  St.  James  Street,  he  placed  a  large  piece  of  white 
paper  in  the  band  of  his  silk  hat,  at  the  front ;  and  then  with 
head  erect,  but  turning  to  the  houses  along  the  way  to  greet 
any  faces  at  the  windows,  he  walked  proudly  up  the  hill  to 
his  house.  On  the  paper  in  his  hat  was  inscribed  in  large 
letters  one  word  :  ghandpa. 


THE   FINAL  YEARS. 


FTER  the  Civil  War  the  family  life,  M'hich  had 
beeu  darkened  by  three  deaths,  by  sickness  and 
by  anxiety,  grew  brighter,  the  youngest  sons 
being  dominant  factors  in  the  situation. 

There  were  again,  as  of  old,  musical  parties  and  amateur 
theatricals  and  exchanges  of  visits.  There  were  pleasure 
journeys  now  and  then.  Father  continued  to  visit  the  old 
school  in  Norton,  giving  prizes,  making  short  addresses  and 
reciting  old-time  "  pieces  "  in  the  old-time  style,  and  carrying 
little  gifts  to  his  old  acquaintances.  He  wrote  out  his  recol- 
lections of  the  Dorr  War  in  Rhode  Island,  and  read  them 
before  the  Historic  Genealogical  Society.  He  contributed 
reminiscences  to  the  newspapers  in  Providence,  Boston  and 
New  York.  He  collected  the  children  of  his  neighborhood 
and  gave  them  little  treats.  He  was  always  doing  something 
pleasant  and  useful. 

In  January,  1867,  he  had  an  experience  which  for  a  person 
of  his  age  was  somewhat  strenuous.  He  had  been  to  a  wed- 
ding in  Fall  River  and  started  back  by  rail  early  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  17th.  A  snowstorm  was  then  in  progress  which 
increased  in  violence  until  it  became  the  most  furious  one 
within  his  memory.  The  train  managed  to  crawl  to  the 
neighborhood  of  North  Easton,  where  it  was  completely 
blocked,  and  where  it  remained  all  night.  There  were  aboard 
sixty-seven  men,  women  and  children,  who  for  some  twenty- 
four  hours  had  nothing  to  eat  except  what  little  they  might 
possibly  have  carried  with  them.  On  the  afternoon  of  the 
19th  the  train,  with  the  aid  of  three  engines,  returned  to  Fall 
River,  carrying  back  most  of  the  passengers.     But  father  had 

(301) 


302  THE   FINAL   YEARS. 

managed  to  walk  to  the  house  of  a  friend  in  North  Easton 
and  preferred  to  remain  there.  On  the  20th  an  acquaintance 
carried  him  in  a  sleigh  to  another  friend's  house  in  East 
Randolph,  and  on  the  next  day  he  was  carried  further  to  a 
tliird  friend  in  South  Braintree,  each  time  the  ride  being  ac- 
complished with  great  difficulty.  That  day,  the  21st,  a  rain 
set  in,  and  at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  train  from  New- 
port with  seven  engines  came  along  and  landed  him  in  Boston 
in  about  an  hour.  It  had  required  five  days  for  him  to  ac- 
complish the  journey  of  fifty  miles  between  Fall  River  and 
Boston. 

It  became  a  custom  for  the  family  to  spend  the  months  of 
heat  at  a  summer  resort.  Before  the  war  this  had  not  been  a 
regular  New  England  habit  except  with  very  wealthy  people. 
The  resort  generally  selected  by  the  family  was  Seaconnet 
Point  in  Little  Compton,  Rhode  Island.  Father  himself  re- 
mained in  Roxbury,  where  the  house  was  kept  open,  except 
for  an  occasional  vacation  of  a  week  or  so. 

He  always  delighted  in  speaking  of  himself  as  a  farmer's 
boy,  and  the  call  of  the  country,  ever  strong,  seemed  to  grow 
more  insistent  with  him  as  the  years  rolled  on.  He  noted  in 
his  Journal  the  coming  of  the  birds  in  the  spring  and  their 
subsequent  doings,  and  the  blossoming  of  the  trees  and 
shrubs.*  He  always  had  a  patch  of  ground  where  he  could 
cultivate  vegetables,  and  he  jotted  down  in  detail,  day  by 
day,  his  agricultural  operations  :  —  so  many  trees  set  out,  so 
many  beans  planted,  so  many  hills  of  corn  hoed,  so  many 
quarts  of  berries  picked.  Finally  he  felt  able  to  own  a 
country  house,  and  in  November,  1870,  he  purchased  the 
Robert  Manton  place  in  Portsmouth  on  the  western  shore  of 
the  island  of  Rhode  Island.  This  lovely  spot  grew  to  be  to 
him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye.  So  charmed  was  he,  that  in 
1873    he    became  a  legal    resident.     Hither   he    came    every 

*  E.  (J.  The  robins  ceased  singing  in  chorus  August  10.  \_Journal  of 
August  12,  1875.-] 


THE   FINAL   YEARS.  303 

spring  to  direct  operations  for  the  coming  season,  and  each 
year  he  spent  more  and  more  time  at  the  place.  Here  he 
renewed  the  days  of  his  childhood  and  passed  some  of  the 
happiest  summers  of  a  happy  life,  indulging  in  the  delights  of 
farming.  Here  he  set  up  his  household  gods  :  —  "  Martin's 
Folly,"  a  birdhouse-model  of  the  original  St.  James  Street 
house,  which  the  martins  refused  to  inhabit ;  "  General 
Grant,"  a  fierce  warrior,  renamed  during  the  Civil  War,  who 
faced  the  blast  and  whirled  a  huge  broadsword  with  each 
hand,  when  the  wind  blew  ;  and  other  idols,  each  with  its 
appropriate  appellation  and  its  own  history. 

The  purchase  of  the  Portsmouth  place  was  hailed  with 
delight  by  all  the  family,  except  one.  Our  housekeeper,  dear 
old  Almira  Winslow,  disapproved.  She  was  in  many  respects 
a  typical  old-fashioned  New  England  woman.  Of  excellent 
family,  descended  from  Governor  John  Winslow,  she  was 
well  educated  in  her  girlhood  and  held  a  good  social  position. 
But  the  death  of  her  father  disclosed  the  unexpected  fact 
that  the  family  finances  had  been  exhausted,  and  it  became 
necessary  for  the  survivors  to  earn  their  own  livings.  My 
stepmother  knew  her  well,  and  on  first  going  to  housekeep- 
ing, took  her  as  an  assistant  and  companion.  Tliis  connection 
lasted  during  life  with  one  brief  interruption. 

When  father  was  married  the  second  time,  Miss  Winslow 
came  to  our  home  with  mother.  She  was  considered  by  us 
children,  and  considered  herself,  a  member  of  the  family. 
She  took  her  meals  with  us  except  when  there  were  guests, — 
then  she  absolutely  refused  to  come  to  the  table.  She  cared 
for  us  tenderly,  and  bossed  us  vigorously.  In  all  family 
concerns  she  was  most  intensely  interested,  and  she  never 
hesitated  to  express  her  opinions  whenever  the  opportunity 
offered. 

When  it  was  proposed  to  have  a  house  in  the  country  in 
addition  to  one  in  the  city,  although  Miss  Winslow's  advice 
was  not  asked,  it  was  given  with  her  usual  emphasis.     The 


304  THE   FINAL   YEARS. 

purchase  of  a  second  house  was  unnecessary,  undesirable,  un- 
economical,— nay,  wickedly  wasteful.  One  house  was  enough 
for  any  one  family.  She  could  not  consent  to  the  plan.  She 
could  not  countenance  it  in  any  way.  If  father  persisted, 
she  would  find  it  necessary  to  abandon  the  family,  much  as 
she  loved  it.  And  as  father  did  persist,  she  left  us  and  went 
to  live  with  a  relative. 

But  not  for  long.  The  ties  of  loving  association  proved  for 
her  to  be  stronger  than  the  bonds  of  blood.  A  year's  absence 
showed  that  she  was  happier  with  us  than  with  anyone  else. 
She  modified  her  opinion  and  asked  to  be  taken  back.  Her 
petition  was  granted  and  she  returned.  Never  after  that, 
except  for  brief  visits,  did  she  leave  the  St.  James  Street 
house  until  she  was  carried  to  her  grave. 

Like  all  New  Englanders  of  his  breed,  father  had  strong 
religious  convictions,  and  the  subjects  of  death  and  of  a 
future  life  were  matters  of  serious  and  frequent  thought.  Al- 
lusions to  the  necessity  of  leading  good  and  useful  lives  and 
of  preparing  for  a  better  world  are  common  in  his  Journal  on 
the  anniversaries  of  his  birth  and  at  the  close  of  a  year.  But 
in  these  there  was  never  any  gloom  or  despondency,  nor  did 
he  ever  seem  to  regard  death  as  anything  else  than  a  passage 
to  a  happier  existence.  "  I  hope,"  he  wrote  at  the  end  of 
1854,  "  that  the  year  has  not  passed  without  deep  and  serious 
thoughts  of  the  future,  of  my  responsibilities  to  my  family 
and  my  duties  to  my  Creator  and  God.  I  pray  that  such 
thoughts  may  sink  deep  into  my  soul  and  bring  forth  fruits 
meet  for  repentance.  My  children  are  growing  up  and  are 
soon  to  take  an  active  part  in  life.  I  hope  and  trust  that 
they  will  live  virtuous  lives,  with  the  fear  of  God  in  their 
hearts,  and  that  they  all  will  become  good  and  useful  citizens. 
May  they  do  their  utmost  to  make  all  happy  around  them, 
and  live  as  tliey  will  wish  they  had  lived  when  they  come 
to  die.  What  a  consolation  it  must  be,  as  death  approaches, 
to  entertain  the  blessed  hope  of  a  joyful  resurrection."     Al- 


A.  D.  HODGES. 

(From   his  latest  photograph  ) 


THE   FINAL   YEARS.  305 

most  always  he  concluded  with  "  thanks  to  the  Giver  of  all 
good  and  perfect  gifts  for  the  many  blessings  bestowed  dur- 
ing the  year  which  has  ended." 

"I  am  fifty-four  years  old  to-day,"  he  wrote.  "How  swiftly 
the  years  have  passed.  I  have  already  lived  to  be  older  than 
I  expected  when  I  was  a  young  man,  and  much  older  than  the 
average  of  men."  He  often  referred  to  the  fact  that  his  life 
had  been  longer  than  he  had  anticipated.  It  may  be  that  this 
idea  of  his  arose  from  knowledge  that  his  heart  was  weak  and 
his  end  liable  to  come  at  any  moment ;  but  he  never  directly 
mentioned  the  fact,  and  it  was  unknown  to  his  family  until 
his  death.  Yet  there  are  certain  statements  in  his  Journal 
which  now  might  be  construed  to  indicate  that  he  was  aware 
of  his  uncertain  hold  on  life.  If  so,  he  "  burned  his  own 
smoke  "  and  for  years  faced  his  fate  bravely  and  cheerfully. 

The  summer  of  1878  had  passed  most  enjoyably  at  Ports- 
mouth. The  crops  had  been  good  and  had  been  gathered  in. 
There  had  been  a  succession  of  agreeable  visitors,  some  of 
whom  were  still  with  him.  There  had  been  an  uninterrupted 
season  of  pleasure-giving  and  pleasure-taking.  Then,  without 
warning  to  the  family,  the  angel  of  rest  came  and  smiled  on 
him. 

On  the  morning  of  September  27,  father  arose  and,  looking 
at  his  watch,  remarked  in  a  tone  of  surprise  that  he  knew  not 
why  he  had  overslept.  It  was  then  five  minutes  past  six 
o'clock,  and  his  regular  hour  of  rising  was  six.  Passing  to 
the  bathroom  for  his  usual  bath,  he  returned  immediately, 
saying  that  he  thought  it  would  be  best  to  omit  this.  Soon 
he  stated  that  he  was  not  feeling  well,  and  at  the  suggestion 
of  his  wife  laid  down  on  the  bed.  As  he  showed  signs  of 
distress,  mother  called  other  members  of  the  family  and  a 
doctor  was  sent  for.  But  before  the  physician  could  arrive  or 
the  clock  mark  the  half  hour,  father  left  us  and  was  gathered 
in  peace  unto  his  people,  "  in  a  full  age,  like  as  a  shock  of 
corn  Cometh  in  in  its  season." 


APPENDICES. 


APPENDIX  I. 


SPECIMENS  OF  THE  ACCOUNTS  IN  THE  LEDGER  OE 
JONATHAN  HODGES,  Jr. 


THE  FOLLOWING  ABBREVIATIONS  APPEAR  IN  THE  ACCOUNTS. 


B  =  black. 

Bar  and  Barskin  =  bearskin 

cloth. 
Botg  =  bottle  green. 
Cam  =  camwood  color, 
dy  =  dyeing, 
f  =  fustic  color, 
fu  =  fulling, 
lamn  =  lambskin  cloth. 


led  =  lead  color. 

In  =:  london  brown. 

Insm  =  london  smoke  color. 

N  blue  =  navy  blue. 

o  g  =  olive  green. 

pres  =  pressing. 

sh  =  shearing. 

sh  twice  =  shearing  on  both  sides. 

sinament  =  cinnamon  color. 


308 


APPENDIX   I. 


A.     SAMPLE   PAGES. 


[Page  28,  left  band  or  Debit  side.] 


July 

April 
June 
July 

November 


January 
March 

November 


June 
December 


January 


March  3d 


March  12 


1787  Ebenezer  Wetherell            Debter  to 

Jonathan  Hodges  Jr 

for  making  a  pair  of  shoes  for  Zephaniah         .   £ 

00 

02 

08 

more  for  a  lyme  hogshed         .... 

00 

02 

00 

1788  for  my  hors  to  ride  to  tanton  [Taunton] 

00 

01 

00 

1787  for  an  ox  yoake 

00 

02 

00 

1788  for  dy  green  tenterd  :  3  :  yds  of  Cloth    . 

00 

01 

03 

more  for  thirty  sheets  of  writing  paper 

00 

01 

03 

1788  for  pres  :  4  :  yds  of  Cloth 

00 

00 

08 

more  for  fu  dy  1"  sh  jires  6)-q  yds  of  Cloth 

00 

08 

02 

1788  for  one  pound  &  half  of  Redwood  &  a 

quarter  of  allom 

00 

00 

09 

more  for  pres  :  12)^  yds  of  Cloth     . 

00 

02 

01 

1789  for  fu  Barskin  :  .5  :  yds  of  Cloth      . 

00 

02 

01 

1789  for  fu  dy  sh  :  5  :  yds  of  Cloth 

00 

03 

09 

more  for  dy  B  :  PjK  Pounds  of  yarn 

00 

00 

10 

1788  By  your  Varbiel  ordier  paid   to  Noah 

wiswall 

00 

01 

00 

1788  By  my  Varbiel  ordier  Jonathan  Hodges  2d 

made  a  pair  of  shoes  for  Zephaniah 

00 

03 

00 

1789  for  dy  green  one  pound  of  yarn 

00 

00 

09 

1789  for  fu  sh  twice  pres  4^-^  yds  of  Cloth 

00 

03 

02 

more  for  pres  an  old  skirt  4^^  yds  of  Cloth    . 

00 

00 

09 

more  for  fu  Barskin  10^4  yds  of  Cloth    . 

00 

04 

05 

1790  for  fu  dy  sh  ,51^  yds  of  Cloth   . 

00 

04 

02 

more  for  pres  4}.^  yds  of  Cloth 

00 

00 

09 

more  for  fu  sh  pres  2)3  yds  of  Cloth 

00 

01 

05 

1790  This  Day  we  the  subscribers  Reckoned 

and  Ballanced  all  Book  accompts  and  found 

Due  to    Ebenezer  Wetherell   one   shilling 

and  six  pence  as  witness  our  hands 

Jonathan  Hodges  Jr 

Ebenezek  wetherell 

1790  Ebenezer  Wetherell            Debter 

to  Jonathan  Hodges  Jr 

for  Colouring  green  1^^  pound  of  yarn 

00 

00 

11 

more  for  Colouring  B  4  i^ounds  of  yarn 

00 

01 

08 

[Continued  on  page  310.] 


LEDGER  OF  JONATHAN  HODGES,  JR. 


309 


May 

September 
October 

December 
October 

October  8 
Decemb 
April 
May  12 
Novem  14 

April  6 
Novem  10 

March  29 


April  17 

June  28 
October  17 
April  11 
April  14 
June  14 
Novem  29 


[Page  29,  right  hand  or  Credit  side.] 

1788  Ebenezer  Wetherell  Credet 

for  :  ll^-a  Pounds  of  Raggs 
1788  to  :  28  feet  of  white  oake  planck     . 
1788  for  :  5  pounds  &  ten  ounces  of  Raggs 

1788  for  Zephaniah  one  day  making  hay 

1789  to  3  quarts  of  sope   .... 


1790  Ebenezer  Wetherell  Credet  to 

one  Days  worck.  .... 

1790  to  4)2  Bushals  of  ashis  [ashes] 

1790  to  4  pounds  of  sope  greace 

1791  to  10  quarts  of  Sope 

1791  to  your  Self  and  oxin  one  day  to  plow 
1791  to  16  gallons  of  Sope 

1791  to  Spinning 

1792  to  29  quarts  of  sope 
1792  to  10  gallons  of  Sope 


1793  Then  we  the  Subscribers  Reckoned  and 
Ballanced  all  Book  accompts  Even  to  this 
date  as  witness  our  hands 

Ebenezer  Wethebei-l 
Jonathan  Hodges  Jr 


1793  Ebenezer  Wetherell  Credet 

to  18  gallons  of  Sope  . 
1793  By  your  son  Eber  one  day  to  ho 

1793  By  your  waggon  to  providence 

1794  By  (3  gallons  &  2  quarts  of  Sope 
1794  By  14  gallons  of  Sope 

1794  By  Eber  about  ■'ii  of  a  day  hoing 
1794  By  5  gallons  of  Sope 


SOO 


15 


[Page  29  of  Ledger,  additional  Debits,  continued  on  Credit  side.] 


Novem  11 

Decem  23 

Feb  2d 

march  5 
October  1 
Decem  7 
Decem  3d 


1791  Mr  Eber  Wetherells  Accompts 
Continued  for  fu  lamn  G14  yds  of  Cloth 

1791  for  pres  314  yds  of  Cloth 

1792  for  fu  dy  green  Bayz  [baize]  2|o  yds  of 
Cloth 

1792  for  fu  lamn  714  yds  of  Cloth    . 

1792  for  pres  one  old  skirt       .... 

1792  for  fu  sh  pres  6}.2  yds  of  Cloth 

1792  for  dy  green  pres  6%  yds  of  Cloth 


[Continued  on  page  311.] 


310 


APPENDIX  I. 


[Page  28,  left  baud  or  Debit  side  continued.] 

May  12  1790  for  sole  letlier  for  one  pair  of  womans 

shoes     

May  31th  1790  to  Cash 

July  S  1790  for  my  hors  to  Providence 

oct  1790  for  fu  sh  pres  2}^  yds  of  Cloth 

1790  for  a  pair  of  flat  irons 
Novem  24         1790  for  pres  10  yds  of  Cloth 
Decern  27      '   1790  for  fu  sh  pres  4%  yds  of  Cloth 
Jan  7                 1791  for  pres  an  old  gound 
Mai'ch  8             1791  for  my  hors  to  tantone    . 
March  29           1791  for  dy  pres  one  old  Cloke 
June                  1791  for  my  hors  to  plow  at  wedeing  among 

Corn  7  acors 

June  22  1791  for  my  hors  to  i^low  among  Corn  at  half 

hilling  4I0  acors  .... 

June  29  1791  for  my  hors  to  plow  about  4  acors 

July  20  1791  for  my  hors  to  [plow]  4 ^^  acors  among 

Corn 

1791  By  James  French      .... 

Novem  14         1791  to  Cash 

august  18         1791  for  pres  10  yds  of  Cloth  . 

Continued  upon  the  next  leaf. 


00 

01 

00 

02 

0 

2 

0 

1 

0 

4 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

4 

0 

3 

0 

2 

0 

2 

0 

6 

0 

6 

0 

1 

1 

[For  lack  of  space  on  the  Debit  side,  the  remaining  Debits  in  this 
account  were  written  on  the  Credit  side.     See  pages  309  and  311.] 


LEDGER  OF  JOXATIIAN  HODGES,  Jli. 


311 


[Page  29,  right  liand  or  Credit  side,  Debit  accounts  continued.] 


June 

1793  Ebenezer  Wetlierell        Debter 

for  my  hors  to  plow  among  Corn  :  1 1.<  acor 

0 

1 

0 

July  1 

1793  for  making  a  pair  of  Shoes  for  your  wife 

0 

2 

8 

Novem  13 

1793  for  a  tea  Cittle  [kettle]    .... 

0 

4 

8 

Nov  em  4 

1793  for  dy  green  2'}^^  pounds  of  yarn 

0 

1 

8 

Novem  11 

1793  for  dy  green  &  pres  3>4  yds  of  Cloth 

0 

2 

2 

Decern  3 

1793  for  fu  Bar  2%  yds  of  Cloth      . 

0 

1 

1 

Decern  19 

1793  for  new  lethering  your  Bellows 

0 

1 

2 

Decern  20 

1793  for  fu  dy  f  sh  &  pres  7  yds  of  Cloth 

0 

5 

10 

Jan  6 

1794  for  dy  B  Z%  pounds  of  yarn    . 

0 

2 

3 

Jan  8 

1794  for  dy  green  %  of  a  pound  of  yarn 

0 

0 

G 

Jan  18 

1794  for  dy  B  &  pres  3  pair  of  gloves     . 

0 

2 

0 

April  1 

1794  for  fu  dy  o  g  sh  &  pres  5)4  yds  of  Cloth 

0 

5 

3 

June  4 

1794  for  my  hors  to  tanton      .... 

0 

1 

2 

June  24 

for  my  hors  to  plow  about  2  acers  among  Corn 

0 

1 

4 

Novem  3 

1794  for  fu  Bar  6  yds  of  Cloth 

0 

2 

6 

Decem  6 

1794  for  fu  dy  Cinamon  &  pres  3  yds  of  Cloth 

0 

2 

3 

Decern  17 

1794  for  fu  dy  f  sh  &  pres  7^0  yds  of  Cloth   , 

0 

7 

6 

Decem  26 

1794  for  pres  8  yds  of  Cloth     .... 

0 

1 

4 

2 

6 

4 

December  29 

1794  this  day  we  the  subscribers  Reckoned  & 
Ballanced  all  Book  accorapts  even  to  this 
date 
as  witness  our  hands 

Ebenezer  Witherell 
Jonathan  Hodges  Jr 

312 


APPENDIX  I. 


May- 
an gust  19 
October  22 


AN   ACCOUNT   WITH   A   FURRIER   AND   HATTER 

1803  Mr  Elias  Fisher  of  tannton  Dr 

for  furr      ........£ 

for  two  bariels  of  Cider   ..... 

for  half  a  cord  of  wood 


September  5    1806  for  Cash 


June  27  ■  1807  for  two  bariels  of  Syder 

I  for  one  musquash  Skin 
December  7  j  for  fu  dy  B  &  pres  5^^  yds  of  Cloth 
August  14        1809  for  one  load  of  wood 
May  18tli  1811  for  one  mink  Skin   . 


0 

1 

0 

1 

16 

0 

0 

9 

0 

0 

6 

6 

2 

12 

6 

1 

2 

0 

0 

0 

10 

0 

4 

5 

0 

10 

0 

0 

0 

9 

4  ,  10  1    6 


Decemr  28 

October  1 
March  6 


C.     AN   ACCOUNT   WITH   A   SEAMSTRESS. 

1797  Sally  Stanley  Dr 

for  sh  dy  1"  &  pres  83^  yds  of  Cloth 

1799  for  my  hors  b}4  Milds     . 

1800  for  Cash   .... 


June  10  1801  for  dy  1"  old  habbit 

May  18  1802  for  sh  dy  1"  &  pres  1 1.^  yd 

September  9    for  dy  B  &  stifned  one  Silk  gown 
December  6tH  1806  for  Cash    .... 


The  above  accompt  is  Settled 


0 

4 

9 

0 

2 

0 

0 

3 

9 

0 

2 

0 

0 

1 

4 

0 

6 

0 

0 

1 

6 

0 

10 

10 

LEDGER  OF  JONATHAN  HODGES,  JR. 


313 


B.     AN   ACCOUNT   WITH   A   FURRIER  AND   HATTER. 


June  Stli 

august  19 
august  7 


Mr  Elias  Fisher 
By  a  felt  hat  for  my  Jonathan 
By  a  Caster  hat  for  my  Self    . 
1804  By  two  felt  liats  for  boyes 


Cr 


June  27  1807  by  one  felt  hat  for  my  Self 

ct  by  three  felt  hats  for  my  Boyes 
July  4th  !by  Dresing  a  hat 

May  18  [1811  by  one  boyes  hat 

November  25   1812  by  one  boyes  hat 


.  £ 

0  1    4 

6 

. 

1  119 

0 

• 

0      9 

0 

2  !  12 

6 

0      7 

6 

0  113 

6 

0  1    5 

0 

0      6 

0 

0  ;  6 

0 

4  i  10      6 


C.    AN  ACCOUNT   WITH   A   SEAMSTRESS. 

1798            Sally  Stanley                                   Cr 

By  4>.<  days  labour £ 

0 

6 

0 

March  6 

1800  By  3  Days  labour 

1802  By  Cuting  out  one  pair  of  trowser  for  ^ 

0 

4 

6 

July  31 

thos  Morey  &  making  one  pair  for  my  > 

0 

2 

0 

self ) 

March  10 

1803  By  cuting  out  my  overalls 

0 

0 

4 

April  27 

By  3  days  labour 

0 

4 

6 

January 

1804  by  2  days  labour 

0 

8 

0 

July  30 

1805  by  making  a  wescoat  at  my  house 

1806  the  Above  accompt  is  Settled 

0 

1 

0 

December  6th 

0 

10 

10 



314 


APPENDIX  I. 


».     AN   ACCOUNT   WITH   A   DOCTOR. 


Novem  20 


Novem  29 
October  26 
October  29 
Novem  16 


t  1797  Doctor  Daniel  Parker  Dr 

for  fu  dy  l"  &  pres  21^  yds  of  Cloth 

I  for  fu  dy  1"  &  pres  0^4  yds  of  Cloth 

I  for  dy  In  &,  pres  one  old  Cloke 
1798  for  pres  old  stuf  7  yds  of  Cloth 
for  fu  &  Carding  Bed  blanketing  lo^i^  yds 
for  fu  dy  1"  &  pres  4^:^  yds  of  Cloth 
for  fu  dy  l"  &  pres  a  skirt  23^4  yds  of  Cloth 


Novem  21       !  1798  the  above  accompt  is  settled  By  a  receipt 


Feb  19 


Novera  21 


October  28 


february  8 


June  17 


february  10th 


June  30tii 


1797  Doctor  Daniel  Parker  Cr 
By  one  visit       .         .         .         .         .         .         .  £' 

By  one  Bushal  of  Corn  of  Arunah  Smith 

1798  By  Cash 

the  above  accompt  is  Settled  By  a  receipt 


Dr 


1805  Dr  Daniel  Parker 
for  fu  dy  Green  &  pres  4%  yds  of  Cloth 
for  dy  yallow  7  lb  &  6  ounces  of  yarn  . 
for  dy  green  yarn  13  lb  &  6  ounces 

&  for  dy  o  g  1^^  lb  of  yarn       .         .         .         . 

1806  for  fu  dy  N  blue  sh  &  pres  13i^  yds  of 
Cloth 


1811  for  cash     . 
Settled 


1806  Dr  Daniel  Parker  Cr 

By  4  yds  of  thick  Cloth  at  8/  ... 

1808  by  capt  Thomas  Danforth  18)^  lb  of  ) 
Sole  lether  at  25  cents  per  lb       .        .       I 

Settled 


2 

4 

18 


17 

7 


18 
0 

19 


12 

7 

19 


Septemr  25 

Feb  19 
Feb  19 


LEDGER  OF  JONATHAN  HODGES,  JR. 

Cr 


315 


1795  Doct  Daniel  Tarker 
By  one  visit  to  my  mother       .... 

1796  By  one  order  upon  hezekiah  Tucker 

1796  this  Day  the  above  acconipt  was  Settled 
By  a  resate 


D 

c 

1 

— 

3 

75 

4 

75 

June  20 


July  30 
Septemr  Qth 

Septemr  13 

October  3d 
October  8 
October  10 
October  19 
October  20 


October  Id 


October  3d 


E.  AN  ACCOUNT  WITH  AN  APPRENTICE. 

1804  Thomas  Morey  Dr 

for  7  yds  of  cotton  &  one  scein  of  thread —  -\ 
taken    up   on  accompt  at   Thos  &  Asa  >    , 
Danforths     ......) 

for  one  pair  of  shoes        ..... 

for  linning  [linen]  at  Thos  &    A   Dauforth 
Stoar      ........ 

for  mending  your  Shoes  .... 

for  paying  Asa  Arnold 

for  Cash    ........ 

for  discount  with  Thos  &  Asa  Danforth 

for  Stock  &  mending  your  Shoes    . 

for  Cash     

for  Cash 

&  for  board  about  2  wekes      .... 

for  Cash    ........ 


1804  Thomas  Morey  Cr 

By  three  Months  and  half  labour  at  iiiS.SO  pr 
month    ........£ 

By  one  days  labour  ..... 

By  one  days  labour 


0 

10 

0 

10 

0 

11 

0 

1 

0 

8 

1 

10 

0 

6 

0 

3 

0 

12 

3 

12 

0 

10 

0 

6 

9 

2 

8 

18 

0 

2 

0 

2 

9 

2 

August  15 
Novem  4 
Nov  em  29 


F.    AN  ACCOUNT  WITH  A  COUNTRY  STORE. 
1793  Fobes  &  Tucker  Dr 


By  Cash 

By  Lieut  Elisha  Cobbs  order 

1793  By  Peter  Carpinter 

1793  for  dy  green  43^4  pounds  of  yarn 

1793  for  fu  dy  1"  &  pres  7  yds  of  Cloth 


1 

10 

0 

4 

0 

11 

0 

3 

0 

5 

316 


APPENDIX  I. 


Decern  14 
Jan  27 
March  24 
June  16 
January  5 
Jan  31 


January  31 


1793  for  dy  Botg  an  old  Josey         ...  0 

1794  for  Derius  Drakes  order  ...  0 
1794  for  Capt  Israel  Trows  order     ...  0 

1794  By  Jacob  Shaws  order     ....  0 

1795  for  fu  dy  green  &  pres  7%  yds  of  Cloth  0 
1795  By  discount  with  Lt  Morey  ...  0 
&  By  a  due  Bill  given  up        ...        .  0 


1795   This   day  Mr  Thomas    fobes    [and]    I 
Settled  our  accompts  By  Resates 


I  1793  Fobes  &  Tucker  Credet 

By  ^^  &  17  pounds  of  iron        ....  1 

April  3d  1793  to  goods 0 

April  10  1793  to  one  gallon  of  melasses        .         .         .       ^    0 

April  15  1793  to  7  pounds  of  flour  ....  0 

October  2d        1793  By  Si^  yds  of  linning  [linen]  at  3s :  4d 

pr  yd 0 

Novemr  2  1793  By  3  pounds  of  Shugger  ...  0 

&  By  i.T  pound  of  Chocolate  .         .         .         .0 
Decern  2d  1793  By  half  pound  of  tea       .         .         .         .      i    0 

&  By  one  Duzzun  of  Biskett  .         .         .         .0 
Jan  7  1794  By  one  Duzzin  of  Bisketts       .         .         •      |    0 

Jan  27  1794  By  one  pound  of  Reasons  [raisins]  .       j    0 

&  By  one  arthon  [earthen]  pot        .         .         .       '    0 

&  By  li^^yd  of  Callaco :    0 

Feb  4  1794  By  2  quarts  of  wine  .         .         .         •       j    0 

&  By  2  Duzzun  of  Bisketts      .         .         .         .0 

Feb.  19  1794  By  4  plates ^    0 

March  4  1794  By  one  gallon  of  molases         .        .        .         0 

&  By  5  pounds  of  Shogger       ....  0 

March  24  1794  By  2  Duzzun  of  Biskets  .         .         .0 

&  By  one  Sling |    0 

June  10  1794  By  K  a  pound  of  tea       .        .        .        .0 

&  By  one  Duzzun  of  Biskets  .         .         .         .0 
June  27  1794  By  3  pounds  of  Shogger  .         .         .10 

July  16  1794  By    one    pair    of    Shoes    for    Rebecka 

French 0 

august  26        1794  By  3  pair  of  heeles  .        .        .        .0 

Novem  Id         1794  By  half  a  bushal  of  Salt  .         .         .         ,0 
Novem  11         1794  By  a  black  lether  Pockett  Boock  .         .0 

&  By  4  squirs  [squares]  of  Glais  [glass]         .       i   0 
Jan  1795  By  one  pound  of  Reasons  &  one  ounce 

of  Snuf 0 

c*C'  By  a  due  Bill  ten  shillings       .         .         •       M^ 

[5:8:1]         \~^ 


APPENDIX   II. 


BARTER   PRICES   IN  NORTON,  1790  TO  1810,  AS   QUOTED 
IN  THE  LEDGER  OF  JONATHAN  HODGES,  Jr. 


Allspice,  per  lb., 
Alum,  per  lb.. 
Apples,  per  bu., 
Ashes,  per  bu.. 
Beans,  per  bu.. 
Beef,  per  lb.. 
Biscuit,  per  doz., 
Board,  per  week, 
Boots,  per  pair, 
Brandy,  per  gal.. 
Buckwheat,  per  bu 
Butter,  per  lb., 
Camwood,  per  lb.. 
Charcoal,  per  bu.. 
Cheese,  per  lb.. 
Chintz,  per  yd.. 
Chocolate,  per  lb.. 
Cider,  per  barrel, 
Cinnamon,  per  oz.. 
Codfish, 
Coffee,  per  lb., 
Copperas,  per  lb.. 
Corn,  per  bu., 
Eggs,  per  doz,, 
Flax,  per  lb.. 
Flour,  per  lb., 
Fustic,  per  lb.. 
Gin,  per  quart. 
Ginger,  per  lb., 


56  cts 

8>^  to  121.^  cts 

16;^  to  33^  cts 

$1.00  to  $2.00 

4  to  9  cts 

13  to  22>^  cts 

$0.87>^  to  11.34 

13.00  to  $5.50 

$1.50  to  $1.78 

50  cts 

10  to  25  cts 

20  cts 

5  to  71^  cts 

8I3  to  14  cts 

64  to  72  cts 

20  to  44  cts 

$0.50  to  $3.00 

81-^  cts 

3  to  5  cts 

191^  to  37  cts 

514  to  8i'3  cts 

$0.50  to  $1.00 

83^  cts 

8%  to  16%  cts 

S]4  to  8}4  cts 

5 >i  to  8}4  cts 

$0.29  to  $1.00 

22  cts 


Handkerchiefs,  flag, 
large, 
linen, 
muslin, 
pocket, 
silk, 


Hats,  castor, 

"     felt. 
Honey,  per  lb.. 
Indigo,  per  lb.,  $1 

Ink,  per  cake. 
Ink-powder,  per  paper. 
Iron,  per  lb., 
Lime,  per  bushel. 
Logwood,  per  lb.. 
Mink  skin. 
Molasses,  per  gal., 
Muskrat  skin. 
Mutton,  per  lb.. 
Nails,  per  M,  4d, 

6d, 

8d, 
"  "  lOd, 
"  20d, 
Oats,  per  bu., 
Onions,  per  bu.. 
Potatoes,  per  bu 
Pork,  per  lb., 

17) 


97  cts 

50  cts 

50  cts 

86  cts 

18  cts 

$0,331^ 

to  $1.50 

$6.50 

$0.75  to  $1.25 

11  to  162^  cts 

$1.50  to  $4.67 

121^  cts 

93./  cts 

7  cts 

$0.75  to  $1.00 

3  to  81'^  cts 

12i.i  cts 

39  to  83>3'  cts 

14  cts 

2X  to  7  cts 

30  to  47  cts 

39  to  58  cts 

$0.8313^  to  $1..30 1^ 

$0.75  to  $1.50 

$1.67  to  $3.33 

25  to  66%  cts 

$1.00 

,       19 1^  to  50  cts 

S}i  to  16%  cts 


318 


APPENDIX  II. 


Rags,  per  lb, 
Raisins,  per  lb., 
Redwood,  per  lb., 
Rice,  per  lb.. 
Rosin,  per  lb., 
Rum,  per  gal.. 
Rye,  per  bu.. 
Shells,  per  lb.. 
Shoes,  per  pair, 

'■'■      for  horses, 
Shoeing  horses  all 

Snuff, 

Soap,  soft,  per  gal. 
Spinning,  per  yd., 
Sugar,  per  lb., 


IX  to  2  cts 
12  1^  to  25  cts 

10  to  123^  cts 
4  to  7  cts 

9X  cts 

$0.47  to  $1.78 

$0,662^  to  $1.50 

25  cts 

10.79  to  $1.83 

each,  28  cts 

round,        fl.l7 

to  fl.33 

11  to  22  cts 
51^  to  8 1^3  cts 

11  to  333^3  cts 


Tallow,  per  lb., 
Tea,  per  lb.. 
Tea,  hyson,  per  lb. 
Tobacco,  per  lb.. 
Turnips,  per  bu., 
Veal,  per  lb., 
Verdigris,  per  oz.. 
Vinegar,  per  gal.. 


10  to  20  cts 

40  to  75  cts 

$1.11 

11  cts 

16;^  to  50  cts 

3>2  to  Q}4  cts 

8)4  cts 

12;^  to  33  >3  cts 


Wages,  per  day,  men. 


women 
Watches, 

Weaving,  per  yard, 
Wheat,  per  bu., 
Wine,  per  gal., 


$0.41?^ 
to  $1.00 
,  10  to  28  cts 
$15  to  $28 
4  to  12  >^  cts 
$1.67 
.1.11  to  $2.00 


Writing  paper,  per  sheet, 


/3 


Ct 


APPENDIX  III. 


COPIES    OF   TAX   NOTIFICATIONS   AND   WAEKANTS, 
FKOM  THE  PAPERS  OF  JONATHAN  HODGES,  JUNIOR. 


1.      NOTIFICATION   TO  THE   ASSESSORS   OF  A  TO^YN   APPROPRIATION. 

To  the  Assessors  of  Norton  Gentlemen 
at  a  Leagul  school  Meeting  of  the  third  Southern  Destrict  in  Norton 
holden  on  Tusday  December  the  2*^  1800 

Voted  one  hundred  and  Eighty  Dollars  to  build  a  School  House  in  s'^ 
Destrict 

Likewise  Voted  that  s*^  sum  should  be  raised  on  the  rateble  pools 
[polls]  and  Estates  of  the  inhabetents  of  s<i  Destrict  and  Lands  and 
other  property  Lieble  to  be  Taxed  in  s'^  District. 

r     Clark 
Luther  Lincoln  •)     of  s^ 

(  Destrict 


2.  warrant  by  the  assessors  to  a  constable. 

Bristol  Ss  To  Jonathan  Hodges  one  of  the  Constables  of  the  Town 
of  Norton  within  the  County  of  Bristol  Greeting 

In  the  Name  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  you  are  required 
to  Levy  and  Collect  of  the  Several  Persons  Named  in  the  List  here- 
with Committed  unto  you  each  one  his  respective  proportion  therein 
Set  down  of  the  Sum  total  of  Such  List  it  Being  three  Hundred  & 
Sixteen  Dollars  &  fifty  five  cents  your  proportion  of  one  Thousand 
Dollars  Voted  and  agreed  upon  by  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of 
Norton  at  an  adjournment  of  the  annual  Meeting  on  May  6"'  1797 
for  Supporting  the  Poor  and  other  Necessary  Charges  of  s<^  Town  and 
you  are  to  transmit  and  pay  in  the  Same  unto  Silas  Cobb  Esq^  Treas- 
urer of  the  Town  of  Norton 

or  to  his  Successor  in  that  ofiice  and  to  Complete  and  make  up  an 
account  of  your  Collections  of  the  whole  Sum  on  or  before  the  first 

(319) 


320  APPENDIX   III. 

day  of  October  next  and  if  any  Person  Shall  refuse  or  Neglect  to 
pay  the  Sum  he  is  assessed  in  the  s^  List  to  distrain  the  Goods  or 
Chattels  of  Such  person  to  the  value  thereof  and  the  distress  so  taken 
to  Keep  for  the  Space  of  four  days  at  the  Cost  and  Charge  of  the 
owner  and  if  he  Shall  not  pay  the  Sum  so  assessed  within  the  S"^  four 
days  then  you  are  to  Sell  at  Public  Vendue  the  distress  so  taken  for 
the  payment  thereof  with  Charges  first  Giving  forty  eight  hours  No- 
tice of  Such  Sale  by  Posting  up  Advertisement  thereof  in  Some  Public 
l^lace  in  the  Town  and  the  overplus  arising  by  Such  Sale  if  any  there 
be  besides  the  Sum  assessed  and  the  Necessary  Charges  of  taking  and 
keeping  the  distress  you  are  immeadeately  to  restore  to  the  owner 
and  for  want  of  Goods  and  Chattels  whereon  to  make  distress  (be- 
sides tools  or  implements  Necessary  for  his  trade  or  occupation, 
Beast  of  the  Plough  Necessary  for  the  Cultivation  of  his  improved 
Land,  Arms,  utensils  for  House  Keeping  Necessary  for  upholding 
Life  bedding  and  apparel  Necessary  for  himself  and  Family)  for  the 
Space  of  Twelve  days  you  are  to  take  the  Body  of  Such  person  So 
refuseing  or  Neglecting  and  him  Commit  unto  the  Common  Gaol  of 
the  County  there  to  remain  until  he  pays  the  Same  or  Such  part 
there  of  as  Shall  not  be  abated  by  the  Assessors  for  the  time  being  or 
the  Court  of  General  Sessions  of  the  peace  for  the  Said  County 
Given  under  our  hands  and  Seals  by  Virtue  of  a  Warrant  from  the 
Selectmen  of  the  Town  of  Norton 

Sep*^  13*^  1797  Joshua  Pond  ^  assessors 

Noah  Clapp    (        of 
Brian  Hall    \    Norton 


3.    A   VTARRANT   TO   THE   TREASURER  TO   COLLECT   FROM   THE 

CONSTABLES  THEIR  PROPORTIONS   OF  A   TAX   LEVY,  AND 

TO    REMIT    CERTAIN    FORMER   TAX   ASSESSMENTS. 

Bristol  Ss  To  M""  Benjamin  Person  South  Precinct  treasurer  of  the 

Town  of  norton  within  the  County  of  Bristol  Greeting 

These  are  to  order  you  to  Demand  Kequire  Recover  and  Receive 

s       d 
of  Constable  Samuel  morey  the  Sum  of    .         .         .         JE40  -    8-10 

of  Constable  Samuel  Newcomb  the  Sum  of      .         .  31-11-2 


It  Being  a  tax  or  Assesment  Granted  and  agreed  on  72-0-0 

at  a  Legal  meeting  of  the  Freeholders  and  other  Inhabitants  of  the 
South  Precinct  of  the  Town  of  norton  Regurlerly  assembled  on  mun- 


TAX   WARRANTS.  321 

day  the  29  Day  of  noveniber  17G2  and  the  Assessors  of  sd  precinct 
have  Dileuered  to  Sd  constables  True  and  perfect  Rate  lists  with 
Lawfull  warreuts  from  the  assessors  of  Said  precinct  Impowering 
Said  Constables  to  gather  and  collect  the  aboue  Said  Sums  and  pay  it 
to  you  or  to  your  Sucksessor  in  Sd  office  at  or  before  the  first  Day  of 
march  next  after  the  Date  hereof,  And  you  are  hereby  ordered  to  pay 
out  of  the  aboue  Sd  money  to  the  Reuerend  mr  Joseph  Palmer  for  his 
Sallerey  For  the  year  1762  the  sum  of  Sixty  six  pound  thirteen  Shill- 
ings And  four  pence  at  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  march  next  1763 
and  the  Seueral  Sums  following  you  are  to  pay  as  soon  as  you  can  git 
the  money  uiz 

s      d 


To  ephraim  Lane  2'J  the  Sum  of  £2  -  4  -  9  for  gath-    >  „^     s       d     q 

r  £2 -4-9-0 
ering  the  Precinct  Rate  1761   .         .         .         .  > 

s     d 
And  to  sd  Lane  the  Sum  of  -  2  -  6  for  peter  Aldriges    >     a_2_    f_o 
Precinct  Rate  when  sd  Lane  was  constable     .  > 

s       d 
And  to  Andrew  Hodges  the  Sum  of  2  -  11  for  Benj'^    }     n_9_i-|_o 

Willises  precinct  Rate  when  sd  hodges  was  constable  ^ 
And  noted  to  giue  John  Martin  his  precinct  Rate    (_     n_Q_    r_n 


The  year  when  Ephraim  Lane  2*^  was  constable 

s        d 


} 


And  Uoted  to  Andrew  Hodges  2-11  for  Jotham  Bas-  )     0-''>-ll-0 
sets  Precinct  Rate  when  sd  Hodges  was  constable      > 

And  what  Remains  over  and  aboue  the  aboue  sd  Sums  3'ou  are  To 
keep  in  your  hands  till  further  order  Dated  in  Norton  february  the 
first  Day  1763 


Thomas  Morey 


Comitte 
of  the 
South 


DAVID  Williams      \  P^^^^°^* 

of  the  Town 

of  Norton 


APPENDIX    IV. 


FINANCIAL  EXTEACTS  FROM  THE  JOURNAL  OF  A.  D.  H. 


A.      STIMSON   &   HODGES. 
ABSTRACT   FROM    ACCOUNT    OF   STOCK. 


STear  ending 

Capital. 

stock  of 

Net  Profit  after  deducting 

Feb. 

Merchandise. 

store  and  family  expenses. 

1823 

$1,200.00 

1824 

2,446.85 

$2,291.40 

$882.63 

1825 

3,461.72 

3,314.17 

994.17 

1826 

4,490.29 

4,613.79 

1,028.57 

1827 

5,580.25 

8,045.81 

1,089.96 

1828 

8,319.03 

9,810.46 

2,738.78 

1829 

11,064.-58 

8,290.33 

2,745.55 

1830 

13,129.82 

6,959.11 

2,065.24 

1831 

13,580.25 

9,449.66 

3, 601.. 36 

1832 

15,781.36 

11,369.48 

5,476.48  or    6,632.90t 

18.33 

15,601.85 

9,878.94 

5,093.99 

1834 

18,189.04 

14,070.35 

6,486.97 

1835 

21,7.39.83 

16,070.15 

7,632.88  or    8,282.86t 

1836 

24,116.37 

19,145.38 

8,657.87 

1837 

24,960.93 

22,360.09 

10,009.69  or  10,295.02t 

1838 

22,505.17* 

18,656.47 

3,792.88  or    5,022.40t 

1839 

22,799..32 

16,-341.97 

4,0.38.92 

1840 

24,981.23 

13,688.26 

5,403.18  or     6,942.21t 

1841 

29,515.97 

13,860.53 

4,874.74 

1842 

27,765.27 

13,980.47 

4,310.03 

*  Diminution  of  Capital  and  Profits  was  caused  by  the  panic  of  1837. 
t  It  is  uncertain  which  of  these  figures  is  to  be  taken. 

(  322  ) 


FINANCIAL  EXTRACTS. 


323 


ANNUAL   PERSONAL   AND   FAMILY  EXPENSES 
FOR   31   YEARS   ENDING  IN   FEBRUARY. 


During  apprenticeship: 

1817  $50.00  and  board. 

1818  75.00 


1819  156.00 

1820  83.00 

1821  81.67 

1822  109.00 

1823  123.00 
In  business: 

1824  279.76 

1825  337.96 

1826  457.81 

1827  471.00 
Married  Oct.  15,  1827 


includiuor  uniform  and  watch. 


1828 
1829 
1830 
1831 
1832 
1833 
1834 
1835 
1836 
1837 
1838 
1839 
1840 
1841 
1842 
1843 
1844 
1845 
1846 


535.54 
1,221.93,  including  about  S500  for  furniture. 

839.95 

848.30 

979.36  (3  in  the  family) 
1,219.81 

1,083.25  (4  in  the  family) 
1,320.09 
1,376.64 
1,429.43 
1,804.76  (5  in  the  family)  including  about  $170  for  furniture  etc. 


2,272.95  "  "     S560 

1,924.02  (6  in  the  family)         "  "     $330 

2,041.64  "  " 

2,230.05  "  " 

1,910.78 

1,800.00  (7  in  the  family) 
1,972..58 

2,176.00  including  about  $170  for  furniture  etc. 

The  family  left  Providence  for  Boston  July  2,  1846. 
1847     2,266.04  (8  in  the  family) 


APPENDIX   V. 


PKOYIDENCE   COTILLIOI^  PAKTIES,  1824-1826, 
FROM    THE   PAPERS   OF   A.  D.  H. 


A.    YOUNG   GENTLEMEN   WHO   ATTENDED. 

Andrews,  Theodore. 

Arnold,  George  C. 

Brown,  William  W.  [Mentioned  several  times  in  the  account  of  the 
Dorr  War.] 

Buffum,  Horace.  Manager.  Married  in  Providence,  Oct.  3,  1826, 
Mary  E.  Page. 

Burrough,  William.  Died  in  Providence,  Feb.  3,  1867,  in  his  68th 
year. 

Cady,  Isaac  H.  Died  in  Providence,  April  16, 1867;  was  in  the  book 
business;  lived  in  New  York  a  number  of  years. 

Carpenter,  F.  W. 
"  Henry. 

Cartee,  Cornelius  S.  A.  B.  Brown  University,  1825;  married  in  Prov- 
idence, April  6, 1829,  Sarah  P.  Jenckes;  M.  D. 
Harvard,  1849  ;  lived  in  Providence,  Peoria, 
111.,  Dowlestown,  Penn.;  librarian  of  Public 
Library,  Charlestown,  Mass.,  1872  [to  1885  ; 
died  in  Charlestown,  Dec.  23,  1885.] 

Clarke,  William  Y. 

Clifford,  John  Henry.  Born  in  Providence,  Jan'y  6,  1809;  A.  B. 
Brown  University,  1827;  Governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts; died  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  Jany  1, 
1876. 

Dunn,  William. 

Dyer,  Albert  Field.  Married  in  Providence,  March  12,  1826,  Amy 
Ann  Ellis. 

Farmer,  William. 

(324) 


PROVIDENCE   COTILLION    PARTIES. 


325 


Faruum,  Heury.     Son  of  Royal;  died  iu  Philadelphia,  Dec.  18,  1855 
aged  53. 

Gladding,  Henry  G.  Married  in  Providence,  Oct.  14,  1829,  Frances 
C.  Hurlburt. 

Haile,  George  C. 

Hallett,  George  W.  Married  in  Providence,  May  18,  1829,  Louisa 
Branch;  the  second  Colonel  of  the  Providence 
Horse  Guards. 

Hodges,  Almon  D.     Manarjer. 

Jackson,  George  W.  Died  in  Providence,  Oct.  15,  1860,  aged  55. 
"         James  A.     Died  in  Providence,  June  4,  1845,  aged  .38. 

Mason,  Coomer  E.     Died  in  Providence,  Jan'y  1,  185.3. 

Mason,  Earl  P.  Member  of  the  Providence  Horse  Guards,  1842- 
1844;  married  Ann  Larcher;  died  in  Provi- 
dence, Sept.  21,  1876,  in  his  73d  year. 

Mauran,  Nathaniel  S. 

Morse,  Nathan  Tingley.     Died  in  Providence,  Aug.  30, 1869,  aged  69. 

Mudge,  Solomon  Hinckley.     Married  in  Providence,  Oct.  16,  1826, 
Susan  H.  Dodge;  I  acted  as  groomsman,  and 
we  gave  them  a  serenade,  two  buglers;  Cap- 
tain of   militia  in  Providence  and  Colonel  in 
Maine;  resided  in  Portland,  Me.,  a  number  of 
years;  died  in  New  Orleans,  March  22,  1860, 
aged  about  58. 
Died  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  1838. 
Secretary  &    Treasurer.     Married  in  Providence, 
Oct.  23,  1827,  Harriet  Bullock. 
Manager.     Married  in  Providence,  July  25,  1855, 
Mary  Whitaker;  died  in  Providence,  Sept.  15, 
1871,  in  his  67th  year. 
Married  in  Providence,  Sept.  29,  1828,  Amelia  S. 
Townsend  ;   died  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  Septem- 
ber, 1875,  aged  about  67. 


Page,  George  W. 
Pearce,  Edward. 

Peck,  Allen  O. 


Porter,  Charles. 


Pratt,  William, 
lihodes,  Peleg  A. 
Spooner,  Joshua, 


Died  in  Providence,  Nov.  13,  1852,  aged  49. 
Married  iu  Providence,  1831,  Ann  C.  Noyes;  died 
in  Providence,  Oct.  20,  1869,  aged  85. 
Stimson,  John  Jones.  Of  Stimson  &  Hodges;  born  June  11,  1798  ; 
married  in  Norton,  Mass.,  Oct.  23,  1828,  Abi- 
gail Morton  Clarke,  daughter  of  Rev.  Pitt 
Clarke;  Captain  of  Providence  Light  Infantry, 
etc.;  died  in  Providence,  Jan'y  20,  1860. 


326 


APPENDIX   V. 


Tyler, . 

Weeden,  Enos  H. 


Died  in  Providence,  April  6,  1873,  aged  70. 


YOUNG   LADIES    WHO   ATTENDED. 


Aborn,  Sarah  A.  Married  June  1.3,  1827,  Amory  Chapin,  who  was 
married  four  times,  and  who  died  in  Provi- 
dence, Oct.  4,  184.5,  in  his  44th  year. 


Andrews,  ISTancy. 
Billings,  Mary. 
Branch,  Caroline  M. 


Laura. 
Louisa. 


Married  Dec.  5,  18.32,  George  W.  Rhodes;  she 
died  in  Providence,  Oct.  3,  1874;  he  died  in 
South  Providence,  Jan'y  27,  1866,  in  his  .57th 
year. 


Bullock,  Harriet. 


Martha. 


Married  May  18,  1829,  George  W.  Hallett;  she  died 

in  Providence,  March  3,  1875. 
Married  Oct.  23,  1827,  Edward  Pearce. 
Burrough,  Ann  Frances. 

"  Lucy  A.     Married  .July  3,  1832,  Joseph  A.  Dike. 

Comstock,  Catherine.     Married   in   New  York   city,   Oct.   29,   1832, 
Benjamin  W.  Comstock;  he  died  Nov.  4, 1850, 
in  his  42d  year,  on  a  voyage  to  Panama. 
Married  in  Providence,  Oct.  15,  1827,  Almon  D. 
Hodges;  she  died  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  Aug.  29, 
1849;  buried  in  the  North  Burying  Ground, 
Providence. 
Married   in   Providence,   Feb.    1,    1826,    Enoch   W. 
Clarke;    she  died  Feb.  6,  1878,  aged  71  yrs., 
10  mos.,  6  days;   he  died  in  Philadelphia   in 
1856,  aged  53. 
Married  Oct.  16,  1826,  Solomon  H.  Mudge. 
Daughter   of   Cyrus;    married   March    12,   1826, 
Albert  F.  Dyer. 
Married  in  Providence,  Nov.  7,  1827,  Amos  D. 
Smith;  she  died  in  Providence,  Jan'y  30, 1835. 
Died  unmarried  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  May  18, 1850, 
aged  about  54. 
"        Harriet  Sprague.     Married  a  Smith. 
Gladding,  Miss. 


Dodge,  Sarah. 


"       Susan  H. 
Ellis,  Amy   Ann. 

Franklin,  Sarah  A. 

Gilbert,  Hannah  P. 


PROVIDENCE    COTILLION    PARTIES. 


327 


Susan  W. 


Jenckes,  Sarah  P. 


Graves,  Emma. 

Hurlburt,  Frances  C.     Married  Oct.  14,  1829,  Henry  G.  Gladding. 

Jackson,  Mary  Brown.  Married  Jany  28,  1830,  James  G.  Anthony; 
she  died  in  Providence,  Oct.  29,  1873,  in  her 
69th  year;  he  died  in  Anthony,  R.  I.,  Sept.  16, 

1861,  aged  54. 
Married  in  Providence,  June  24, 1828,  Dr.  David 

B.  Slack;  she  died  in  Providence,  May  4,  1868, 
aged  60  yrs.  2  mos. ;  he  died  in  Providence, 
June  27,  1871,  in  his  74th  year. 
Married  April  6,  1829,  Cornelius  S.  Cartee;  she 
was  buried  in  Providence,  May  9,  1831. 
Jestram,  Mary.     Died  unmarried,  in  Fruit  Hill,  R.  I.,  Dec.  29,  1861, 

in  her  54th  year. 
Jones,  May  Caroline.     Married  in  Providence,  July  3,  1834,  Joseph 
Knowles. 
[Daughter  of  John  M.,  born  in  Providence  May  8, 
1808.]     Married  in  Providence,  1831,  Joshua 
Spooner. 
Married  Oct.  3,  1826,  Horace  Buffum. 
Married  in  Providence,  Dec.   11,  1827,  William  P. 
Bullock;    she   died   in   Providence,    Sept.   15, 
18.36,  aged  29;  he  died  in  Providence,  Dec.  21, 

1862,  aged  57. 
Married  in  Providence,  May  9,  1827,  Esek  Aid- 
rich,  Jr.  ;    she  died  in  Providence,  July  29, 
1872,  aged  67;  he  died  in  Providence,  May  24, 
1869,  in  his  74"^  year. 

Smith,  Mary. 

Soule,  Eliza.  Married  in  Providence,  Jan'y  14,  1830,  George  A. 
Rhodes. 

Stillwell,  Frances.  Born  in  Providence  Jan'y  13,  1807;  married  in 
Providence,  Aug.  20,  1829,  James  N.  Olney; 
resided  later  in  Brooklyn,  JSf.  Y.,  and  San  Fran- 
cisco and  Oakland,  Cal.;  she  died  in  San  Rafael, 
Cal.,  Jan'y  1, 1875.  Col.  Jas.  N.  Olney  served 
in  the  Dorr  War,  and  commanded  one  of  the 
companies  of  the  famous  San  Francisco  Vigi- 
lance Committee  of  1856. 
"  Mary.  Born  in  Providence  May  4,  1805;  married  in  Provi- 
dence, Oct.  18,  1827,  Edward  Gratton. 


Noyes,  Ann  C. 


Page,  Mary  R. 
Pearce,  Sarah. 


Peck,  Mary  Spurr. 


328  APPENDIX    V. 

Thornton,  Louisa.     Married  in  Providence,  Aug.  9,  1827,  Henry  W. 

Lotlirop;  he  died  in  Providence,  Oct.  6,  1874, 

in  his  73d  year. 
Thurber,  Mary.     Married  Cyrus  Dyer;  she  died  in  Providence,  Aug. 

6,  1876,  aged  about  70;  he  died  in  Providence, 

March  22,  1864,  aged  67. 
"         Mary  C.     Married  in  Providence,  Nov.   21,   1832,   Ira   B. 

Winsor;  lie  died  in  Providence,  March  4, 1877, 

in  his  73d  year. 
Townsend,  Amelia  S.     Married  Sept.  29,  1828,  Charles  Porter. 
Ware,  Clarissa. 
Williams,  Abby.     Married  Albert  Gooding  [Goodwin  ?]. 


c.    copy  of  the  caterer's  bill  for  the  season  of  1824-5. 
Cotillion  Party 

To  Peter  S.  Minard  Dr. 

Dec.  sot's  1824.     To  use  of   my  hall  one  night  |;6.00 

To  12  Bottles  Wine  12.00 

To  Cake  &c  for  66  Persons  17.50 

To  Cake  Caried  in  to  the  Drawing  room  .50 

To  Cash  Paid  for  Cariages  9.00 

Jany  13"',  1825.     To  use  of  my  hall  6.00 

To  12  Bottles  of  Wine  12.00 

To  5  Bottles  of  Wine  &  Brandy  Extra  5.00 

To  Cake  Pies  &c  for  74  Persons  19.60 

To  4  tumblers  Broke  .67 

To  Cake  &  pies  in  the  Chamber  .75 

To  Cash  Paid  to  Buglelar  [bugler]  4.00 

To  Cash  for  Cariages  9.00 

Jany  27'",  1825.     To  Cash  Paid  to  Buglelar  3.00 

To  12  Bottles  wine  12.00 

To  use  of  my  hall  6.00 

To  Cake  &c  for  70  Persons  17.50 

To  Bottles  Brandy  Extra  2.00 

To  Cash  Paid  for  Cariages  9.00 
To  four  tumblers  Broke  and 

one  paine  of  Glass  Broke  .84 

To  Cash  Paid  for  2  packs  of  cards  0.50 


COTILLION    PARTIES  IX  PROVIDENCE.  329 

Feby  10"'  1825.     To  use  of  my  hall  6.00 

To  1-2  Bottles  AViue  12.00 

To  4  Bottles  Brandy  4.00 

To  Cake  &c  for  90  Persons  21.50 

To  6  tumblers  Broke  1.00 

To  cash  Paid  Jeukes  28.00 

To  cash  Paid  Brown  20.00 

To  cash  Paid  Sutton  20.00 

To  cash  Paid  Smith  12.00 

To  cash  Paid  Capron  5.00 

To  cash  Paid  for  Carias^es  9.00 


S201.26 


D.     COPY    OF    A    LETTER. 


At  a  Meeting  of  the  "  Providence 
Cotillion  Party  "  it  was  voted  that  the  Surjilus  funds  in  the  hands  of 
the  Secretary,  being  Eleven  Dollars  and  fifty  Cents,  be  Presented  to 
the  Dorcas  Society,  in  compliance  with  which  I  hand  you  the  amount 
herewith. 

Respectfully 
To  Mrs.  J.  B.  Wood  A.  D.  Hodges 

First  Directress  of  the  Sec^ 

Dorcas  Society. 

Providence  13  Feb'y  1826. 


APPENDIX   VI. 


WASHINGTON   BANK   DATA. 


Original  Charter  granted  February  25,  1825. 

Became  a  National  Bank  January  1,  1865. 

Went  into  voluntary  liquidation  February  20,  1902. 

Original  capital,  ^500,000;  increased  to  1750,000  in  1854. 


PROMINENT    ORIGINAL    SHAREHOLDERS    AND    THEIR    HOLDINGS. 

Shares 

Davis,  Charles  50 

Derby,  Elias  H.  8 

Doggett,  Samuel  2 

Dorr,  Samuel  12 

Dudley,  David  12 

Everett,  Aaron  8 

Everett,  Moses  8 

Everett,  Otis  12 

Fay,  Windsor  60 

Felton,  Luther  4 

Fisher,  Oliver  10 

French,  Benjamin  V.  38 

French  &  Weld  60 

Fuller,  Henry  H.  8 

Gardner,  Samuel  J.  4 

Gilbert,  Benjamin  J.  6 

Gill,  Perez  4 

Goddard,  Jonathan  8 

Gray,  Francis  C.  20 

Hayden,  William,  Jr.  4 

Hay  ward,  George  16 

Head,  Joseph  20 

Hendley,  James  4 
330) 


Shares 

Adams  &  Amory 

5 

Andrews,  Justin 

2 

Atkins,  Benjamin 

3 

Balch,  Joseph 

6 

Baldwin,  Aaron 

40 

Ball  &  Davis 

12 

Ballou,  Hosea 

2 

Baxter,  David,  Jr. 

64 

Boylston  Fire  and  Marine 

Insurance  Co. 

3000 

Bracket,  Lemuel 

2 

Bradlee,  John  W. 

0 

Bradlee,  Samuel 

12 

Brewer,  Thomas 

41 

Brown,  John  I. 

4 

Bugbee,  Edward 

4 

Bullard,  Lewis 

4 

Carter,  Thomas 

5 

Champney,  O.  W. 

12 

Child,  Stephen 

2 

Columbian  Lodge,  The 

6 

Cooke,  Josiah  P. 

86 

Crackbon  &  Howe 

16 

( 

WASHINGTON  BANK  DATA. 


331 


Shares 

Holbrook,  Henry  J. 

4 

Hovey,  Henry  &  Co. 

IG 

Hunting,  Thomas 

20 

Ireland,  Jonathan 

2 

Johnson,  Samuel 

8 

Lamson,  John  A. 

8 

Loring,  Barnabas  T. 

4 

Lovering,  Joseph 

12 

Lowell,  John,  Jr. 

2 

Macomber,  Howard  &  Sawin 

12 

Marett,  Philip 

12 

Marsh,  Bela 

2 

Mass.  Hospital  Life  Ins.  Co. 

10 

May,  Perrin 

12 

Messenger,  Daniel 

4 

Moseley,  D.  C. 

4 

Nevers,  B.  M. 

2 

Parker,  John 

20 

Parker,  John,  Jr. 

8 

Parker,  Peter 

4 

Payson,  Perrin 

8 

Perkins,  Rufus 

4 

Perry,  John  &  Son 

6 

Piper,  Solomon 

4 

Prescott,  Edward 

4 

Preston,  Elisha 

4 

Price,  Henry  &  Co. 

12 

Provident  Inst'n  for  Savings 

in  the  Town  of  Boston 

50 

Shares 

Eice,  .John  P.  4 

Sharp,  Edward  8 

Shaw,  Lemuel  32 

Simmons,  D.  A.  6 

Sprague,  G.  I.  8 

Stearns,  Jonathan  P.  20 

Stedman,  Josiah  30 

Stedman,  W.  M.  12 

Stevens,  Benjamin  24 

Thompson,  John  36 

Thorndike,  Israel  P.  8 

Tilden,  Thomas  12 

Topliff,  Samuel  6 

Townsend,  J.  P.  6 

Vose,  Ebeuezer  &  Co.  12 

Vose,  Josiah  10 

Wainwright,  Henry  4 

Wales,  Ebenezer  4 

Weld,  Daniel  40 

Welles,  John  12 

West,  Benjamin  8 

White,  Warren  6 

Whitney,  Josiah  &  Co.  6 

WiUiams,  J.  D.  &  M.  84 

Williams,  Thomas  16 

Worthington,  Francis  8 

Worthington,  William  4 

Wyman,  William  8 


PRESIDENTS. 

Aaron  Baldwin,      elected  March  23,  1825;  resigned  Nov,  0,  1850. 
Almon  D.  Hodges        "      Nov.  6,  1850;  died  Sept.  27,  1878. 
Eben  Bacon  "       Sept.  28,  1878;  resigned  Jan'y  7,  1896. 

C.  MiNOT  Weld  "      Jan'y  7, 1896;  bank  ceased  business  Feb. 

20,  1902. 

cashiers. 

Henry  Jacques  elected  April  9, 1825;  resigned  Oct.  4, 1825. 

Daniel  A.  SiGOURNEY        "       Oct.  4,  1825;  "       Oct.  21,1853. 


532 


APPENDIX  YI. 


Charles  A.  Putnam    elected  Oct.  21,  1853;  resigned  Dec.  26,  lSf)2. 
William  H.  Brackktt      "     Dec.  26,  lS(i2;  "      Nov.  15, 1895. 

Francis  A.  Low  "     Nov.  15,  1895;    served  to  the  end  in 

1902. 


DIRECTORS. 


Anthony,  S.  Reed 
Atkins,  T.  G. 
Bacon,  Eben 
Bacon,  Francis 
Balcii,  Joseph  W. 
Baldwin,  Aaron 
Bradlee,  Samuel 
Brewer,  Thomas 
Browne,  Edward  I. 
Chapin,  Henry  B. 
Cooke,  Josiah  P. 
Curtis,  Caleb  A. 
Davis,  Charles 
Dutton,  George  D. 
Emmons,  John  L. 
Fay,  Windsor 
Fisher,  Oliver 
Fisher,  Warren 
Fowle,  Parker 
Greene,  Henry  A. 
Hodges,  Almon  D. 
Hooper,  James  R. 
Inches,  John  C. 
Jackson,  Francis 


1901- 
1838- 
1861- 
1845- 
1854- 
1825- 
1825,  1830, 
1825- 
1879- 
1891- 
1825- 
1884- 
182.5- 
1850- 
1850- 
1825- 
1826- 
1845- 
1840- 
1872- 
1850- 
1891- 
1886- 
1832- 


1902 
1840 
1902 
1877 
1877 
1850 
1831 
1837 
1901 
1902 
I860 
1900 
1838 
1857 
1857 
1843 
1829 
1846 
1852 
1890 
1878 
1901 
1893 
1839 


Lambert,  William  B. 
Lincoln,  William 
Loring,  Barnabas  T. 
Levering,  Edward 
Lyman,  George  T. 
Mackey,  William 
Mixter,  George 
Moseley,  Flavel 
Prendergast,  James  M. 
Price,  Henry 
Saltonstall,  Richard  M. 
Simes,  Joseph  S. 
Simes,  William 
Sprague,  Edwin  L. 
Stan  wood,  Eben  C. 
Stedman,  Josiah 
Thacher,  Charles 
Thompson,  John 
Tucker,  Alanson 
Weld,  C.  Minot 
Weld,  Daniel 
Williams,  John  D. 
Williams,  Moses 


BOOKKEEPERS. 

Joshua  Child,  1825  to  1832. 

J.  A.  Richards,  1833  to  1845. 

James  H.  Champney,  1846  to  Jan'y  18,  1887. 

La  Prelate  H.  Turner,  May  3,  1887  to  Jan'y  4,  1898. 

John  A.  Easton,  Jan'y  4,  1898  to  the  end  in  1902. 

GENERAL    ASSISTANT. 
La  Prelate  H.  Turner,  Jan'y  4  to  Oct.  1,  1898. 

ASSISTANT   BOOKKEEPERS. 

Amory  G.  Hodges,  1875  to  1878. 

John  A.  Easton,  Feb.  1,  1897  to  Jan'y  4,  1898. 

Benjamin  F.  Wessels,  1900  to  the  end  in  1902. 


1891-1902 
18.50-1854 
1829-1831 
1901-1902 
1848-1857 
1861-1865 
1898-1902 
1842-1851 
1887-1902 
1825-1829 
1894-1902 
1878-1874 
1884-1890 
1886-1890 
1861-186H 
1825-1867 
182.5-1827 
1825-1837 
1850-1881 
1890-1902 
1825-1833 
1901-1902 
1825-1867 


WASHINGTON  BANK  DATA.  333 

TEr.L7':KS. 
John  J.  Soreu,  1825  to  1847. 
Charles  A.  Putnam,  1848  to  1858. 
Caleb  A.  Atkins,  1854  and  1855. 

I'AY1N(t  telleus. 
George  F.  Dodge,  March  7,  1856  to  1857. 
Francis  A.  Low,  1857  to  Nov.  15,  1895. 
Sanford  L.  Treadwell,  Nov.  15,  1895  to  the  end  in  1902. 

HEC^EIVIiNTG    TELLEUS. 
Francis  A.  Low,  185(5  and  1857. 
Thomas  M.  Button,  1857  and  1858. 
Benjamin  C.  Vickery,  1858  and  1859. 
La  Prelate  H,  Turner,  1860  to  May  23,  1887. 
Sanford  L.  Treadwell,  May  23,  1887  to  Nov.  15,  1,S95. 
George  F.  Low,  Nov.  15,  1895  to  the  end  in  1902. 

DISCOUNT    CLERKS. 
William  Townsend  Hodges,  May  15,  1854  to  July  1862. 
William  H.  Townsend  (acting),  winter  of  1856-7. 
John  J.  Eddy,  August  1862  to  Dec.  3,  1868. 
Sanford  L.  Treadwell,  Dec.  3,  1868  to  Nov.  15,  1895. 
John  A.  Hunneman,  Nov.  15,  1895  to  the  end  in  1902. 

:\rESSENGERS. 

styled  originally  Messenger  and  Porter,  afterwards  Messenger  and  Col- 
lecting Clerk. 

Jeremy  Drake,  1825  to  1831. 

S.  T.  Goss,  1832  to  1834. 

James  H.  Champney,  Aug.  24,  1834  to  1845. 

Charles  A.  Putnam,  1846  to  1847. 

J.  W.  Gushing,  1848  to  1853. 

Henry  Kellogg,  1854  to  1895. 

Samuel  C.  Payson,  1896  to  1899. 

Benjamin  W.  Newhall,  1900  to  1901. 

Fred  F.  Ford,  1901  to  1902. 


CLERKS. 


John  A.  Hunneman,  1887  to  1895. 
Charles  H.  Kilham,  1891. 
George  F.  Low,  1893  to  1895. 
Benjamin  W.  Newhall,  1899. 
Fred  F.  Ford,  1900. 
Edward  Johnson,  1901  to  1902. 


334 


1826  April 
Oct. 

1827  April 
Oct. 

1828  April 
Oct. 

1829  April 
Oct. 

1830  April 
Oct. 

1831  April 
Oct. 

1832  April 
Oct. 

1833  April 
Oct. 

1834  April 
Oct. 

1835  April 
Oct. 

1836  April 
Oct. 

1837  April 
Oct. 

1838  April 
Oct. 

1839  April 
Oct. 

1840  April 
Oct. 

1841  April 
Oct. 

1842  April 
Oct. 

1843  April 
Oct. 

1844  April 
Oct. 

1845  April 
Oct. 

1846  April 
Oct. 

1847  April 
Oct. 


APPENDIX  VT. 

DIVIDENDS    PAID    (per  0611 

t.). 

4 

1848 

Apri 

1               3>^ 

1870 

April  1 

b 

Oct. 

1              3 

Oct.     1 

O 

1849 

Apri 

1              3 

1871 

April  1 

0 

Oct. 

1                   o 

Oct.     1 

o 

1850 

Apri 

I  1               3 

1872 

April  1 

3 

Oct. 

1               3 

Oct.     1 

2 

1851 

Apri 

1                 o 

1873 

April  1 

1>2 

Oct. 

1               3 

Oct.     1 

1>^ 

1852 

Apri 

1               3>,i 

1874 

April  1 

2M 

Oct. 

1               3 

Oct.     1 

2)^ 

1853 

Apri 

1               3 

1875 

April  1 

2 

Oct. 

1        m 

Oct.     1 

'^% 

1854 

Apri 

{  1                4 

1876 

April  1 

2  V. 

Oct. 

1               4 

Oct.     1 

2^ 

1855 

Apri 

1            -i'A 

1877 

April  1 

2^4 

Oct. 

1            ^i 

Oct.     1 

2)4 

1856 

Apri 

1            W^ 

1878 

April  1 

2% 

Oct. 

1                     31^2 

Oct.     1 

3 

1857 

Apri 

1               4 

1879 

April  1 

3 

Oct. 

1               ^% 

Oct.     1 

2^1 

1858 

Apri 

1              3% 

1880 

April  1 

3 

Oct. 

1               3>2- 

Oct.     1 

1>2 

1859 

Apri 

1               4 

1881 

April  1 

2 

Oct. 

1               4 

Oct.     1 

2 

1860 

Apri 

1               3 

1882 

April  1 

2  ^'2 

Oct. 

1                3 

Oct.     1 

'•> 

1861 

Apri 

1               3 

1883 

April  1 

3 

Oct. 

i                o 

Oct.    1 

2 

1862 

Apri 

1                 3 

1884 

April  1 

2% 

Oct. 

1               3 

Oct.     1 

2^ 

1863 

Apri 

1               3)^ 

1885 

April  1 

2^ 

Oct. 

1               31^ 

Oct.     1 

2 

1864 

Apri 

1               4 

1886 

April  1 

2^ 

Oct. 

1               4 

Oct.     1 

1>^ 

1865 

Apri 

1               6 

1887 

April  1 

2 

Oct. 

1               () 

Oct.     1 

1^ 

1866 

Apri 

1               6 

1888 

April  1 

2 

Oct. 

1               6 

Oct.     1 

2>^ 

1867 

Apri 

1               6 

1889 

April  1 

3 

Oct. 

1               6 

Oct.     ] 

3 

1868 

April 

1               6 

1890 

April  1 

3 

Oct. 

1               () 

Oct.     1 

3 

1869 

Apri 

1               6 

1891 

April  1 

'i'A 

Oct. 

1               6 

Oct.    1 

3 

2>^ 

2)^ 

2M 

2>6 
2 

2>e^ 
3 
3 
3 

2>2 

23<^ 
2% 

^A 
^% 

2% 


WASHINGTON   BANK  DATA. 


1892  April  1 
Oct.     1 

1893  April  1 
Oct.     1 

1894  April  1 
Oct.     1 

1895  April  1 
Oct.     1 


2 '  o 
2'  .' 


1896  April  1 
Oct.     1 

1897  April  1 
Oct.     1 

1898  April  1 
Oct.     1 


2  '.< 


1899  April  1 
Oct.     1 

1900  April  1 
Oct.     1 

1901  April  1 
Oct.     1 


/    AVKRAGE    ANNUAI,   DIVIDEND, 

1825  to  1850  inclusive  5     per  cent. 

jj       \  8.7     "       "     exclusive  of  taxes. 
/  9.0     "       "     inclusive    " 
1879  to  1895         '•  5.3     "       " 

189U  to  1901         "  4.6     " 


1851  to  1878 


2'., 

2'., 

2ii< 


SURPLUSES. 

1851  Oct.     1 

■^8,000 

1873 

April  1 

|;273,546 

1887 

Oct. 

1      $298,944 

1854  Oct.     1 

40,239 

Oct.     1 

274,363 

1888 

April 

300,00(1 

1855  Oct.     1 

50,317 

1874 

April  1 

274,564 

Oct. 

[         310,060 

1850  Oct.     1 

57,000 

Oct.     1 

269,807 

1889 

April 

I        310,224 

1857  April  1 

65,000 

1875 

April  1 

268,038 

Oct.     ] 

I        302,635 

1861  April  1 

43,305 

Oct.     1 

267,664 

1890 

April  ] 

I        306,377 

Oct.     1 

30,087 

1876 

April  1 

307,245 

Oct. 

L        312,160 

1862  April  1 

35,303 

Oct.     1 

288,938 

1891 

April 

L        321,087 

Oct.     1 

39,774 

1877 

April  1 

285,061 

Oct.     ] 

I        324,562 

1863  April  1 

54,730 

Oct.     1 

280,043 

1892 

April  ] 

I        326,-598 

Oct.     1 

70,000 

1878 

April  1 

272,060 

Oct. 

309,034 

1864  April  1 

80,000 

Oct.     1 

261,038 

1893 

April 

1        303,186 

Oct.     1 

90,428 

1879 

April  1 

272,571 

Oct. 

I        306,367 

1865  April  1 

144,780 

Oct.     1 

270,782 

1894 

April 

I        278,698 

Oct.     1 

167,275 

1880 

April  1 

274,192 

Oct. 

I        277,860 

1866  April  1 

175,686 

Oct.     1 

279,097 

1895 

April 

I        278,046 

Oct.     1 

187,758 

1881 

April  1 

277,087 

Oct. 

275,744 

1867  April  1 

191,261 

Oct.     1 

292,528 

1896 

April 

I        281.231 

Oct.     1 

204,817 

1882 

April  1 

274,089 

Oct. 

I        290,920 

1868  April  1 

209,683 

Oct.     1 

273,999 

1897 

April  ] 

L         293,681 

Oct.     1 

220,587 

1883 

April  1 

271,683 

Oct.     ] 

1        298,041 

1869  April  1 

231,927 

Oct.     1 

271,934 

1898 

April  ] 

I        303,862 

Oct.     1 

237,786 

1884 

April  1 

271,459 

Oct.     ] 

I        319,160 

1870  April  1 

245,417 

Oct.     1 

271,520 

1899 

April  ] 

L        319,321 

Oct.     1 

247,755 

1885 

April  1 

268,914 

Oct.     ] 

L        315,853 

1871   April  1 

247,878 

Oct.     1 

267,615 

1900 

April  ] 

I        331,069 

Oct.     1 

253,532 

1886 

April  1 

2r>6,379 

Oct. 

L        .348,690 

1872  April  1 

2.54,208 

Oct.     1 

261,241 

1901 

April 

1        360,649 

Oct.     1 

260,667 

1887 

April  1 

261,691 

Oct. 

I        374,901 

inr> 


APPENDIX  VT. 


HIGHEST    AND    LOWEST    STOCK    IMMCKS. 

Lowest 

100 

100* 

98 


102* 

95 
100 
107* 
101 

95 

95 

lOOlg^ 
100 
105 
112 
119 
121 
180 
1331^ 
135 
134% 
135 
140 
138 
1353^ 


Year 

Highest 

Lowest 

Year 

Highest   I 

1820 

104 

100 

1852 

106 

1827 

105 

102  i. 

1853 

105 

1828 

1041. 

101  ^e 

1854 

104 

1829 

104 

101 

1855 

106 

1830 

10(5 

lOOJi 

1856 

1051. 

1831 

105/. 

1013/ 

1857 

108  ~ 

1832 

103  ' 

100 

1858 

110 

1833 

103 

100 

1859 

112 

1834 

102io 

100 

1860 

112 

1835 

105 

102 

1861 

109 

1830 

103 

9() 

1862 

104}^ 

1837 

102 

02 

1863 

W4]4 

1838 

96 

5)1  ^2 

1864 

V2h% 

1839 

90 

91 

1865 

125 

1840 

91 

90 

1866 

126 

1841 

93 

88>. 

1867 

128 

1842 

91  lo 

84 

1868 

137)^^ 

1843 

89 

m4 

1869 

144  >e 

1844 

90 

83 

1870 

144 

1845 

100 

90 

1871 

150 

1846 

98  ,t.. 

93 

1872 

148f. 

1847 

98 

97  >^ 

1873 

146 

1848 

93 

88 

1874 

152 

1849 

96). J 

90 

1875 

1511. 

1850 

lOOto 

94 

1876 

147 

1851 

104 

98* 

« 

Ex-dividend. 

Yea  r 

Highest 

Ijowest 

1877 

140 

130 

1878 

131 

.120 

1879 

135 

121 

1880 

140)8^ 

132 

1881 

141^,/ 

137 

1882 

139^ 

127^8 

1883 

133 

125 

1884 

134 

]27 

1885 

1353^ 

129>4 

1S86 

135 

122K 

1887 

128 

120% 

1888 

123 

in^o 

1889 

12718 

122^ 

1890 

I2914 

121 

1891 

125 

115 

1892 

117!. 

111 

1893 

111% 

1001^ 

1894 

111 

101 

1895 

110'^ 

107 

1896 

106K 

100 

1897 

100,1.' 

97>8- 

1898 

11914 

100% 

1899 

12314 

119 

1900 

121 

103 

1901 

I35I0 

107 

INDEX   OF   NAMES. 


Aborn,  Sarah  A.  326 
Adams  &  Amory  330 

John  Qiiincy  28,  177 
Alden,  Francis  125 
John  19 
Priscilla  19 

Aldrich, 142 

Esek  122,  327 
Isaac  70,  71 

Mary  Spurr  (Peck)  327 
Aldridge,  Peter  321 
Allen,  G.  W.  199 
James  19 
Lewis  73 
Lydia  17() 
Otis  82 
Philip  J.  230 
Zachariah  145,  157,  185 
Ames,  (Gen.)  185 
Samuel  122,  182,  207 

Amory, 86 

Andrew,  John  A.  294,  295,  297-299 
Andrews,  Justin  330 
Mary  20 
l^ancy  326 
Theodore  324 
W.  T.  260 
Angell,  Job  151 
Anthony,  Burrington  183,  188 
Henry  B.  175,  226 
James  G.  327 

Mary  Brown  (Jackson)  327 
S.  Reed  332 
Appleyard,  Artliur  E.  264 


Arnold,  Asa  57,  70,  315 
Benedict  63 
David  70,  71 
Elizabeth  212 
George  C.  324 
George  H.  48,  60 
Joseph  H.  199 
Nancy  70,  71 
Polly  70 
S.  71 

Samuel  G.  172,  173 
Atkins,  Benjamin  330 
Caleb  A.  333 
T.  G.  332 
Avery,  John  26 
Bacon,  Daniel  Carpenter  263 
Desire  Taylor  (Gorham)  2(i3 
Eben  247,  262,  263,  331.  332 
Francis  229,  247,  332 

Bagg, 142 

Baker,  Allen  173 
Balch,  Joseph,  247,  330 

Joseph  W.  332 
Balcom,  Benjamin  97 
Baldwin,  Aaron  229,  245-247,  249- 
252,  330-332 
Aaron  Charles  252 
Betsey  Esther  (Marett)  252 
Elizabeth  Adelaide  252 
Enoch  251 
Sybil  (Knapp)  251 
Balkcom,  James  63 
Ball  &  Davis  330 
Ballou,  ITosoa  330 


338 


INDEX   OF   NAMES. 


Barber,  G.  C.  219 
Barnes, (  Mrs.)  100 

1.  (Mr.)  100 

I.  (Mrs.)  100 
Barnett,  Thomas  220 
Barney,  H.  E.  151 

Thomas  20 
Barrett,  George  (Mrs.)  88 
Bartlett,  John  II.  160 
Bassett, 147 

Jotham  .321 
Bateman,  (Capt.)  204 
Bates,  Benjamin  E.  260 
Baxter,  Daniel  245 

David  330 
Baylies,  Francis  177 

H.  44 

Bernard, 100 

Billings,  Mary  326 
Black,  (Mrs.)  143 
Blair,  Francis  P.  149 
Blake,  Joseph  M.  20(i 

Mary  93 

Thomas  93 
Blodget,  Leonard  188 
Bolingbroke,  (Lord)  134 
Bonnycastle,  J.  C.  219 
Booth,  Edwin  88 

Junius  Brutus  88,  145 
Bosworth,  Alfred  207 
Bowen,  113 

(Col.)  157 

Ephraim  154 

Hannah  212 

Henry  167-170,  193,  206 

Peddy  117 

William  117 

Boylston, 201 

Bracket,  Lemuel  330 
Brackett,  Gorliam  231 

Louisa  86 

W.  H.  (Mrs.)  86 

William  H.  86,  247,  332 
Bradford,  William  266 
Bradlee,  .lohn  W.  330 


Bradlee,  Samuel  246,  330,  332 
Braman,  (Master)  84 

Daniel  32 

I.  71 

Thomas,  Jr.  66-69 
Bramhall,  William  260 
Branch,  Caroline  M.  326 

Laura  326 

Louisa  325,  326 

Stephen  122 
Bray,  John  100 

Brewer,  Thomas  245,  246,  330,  332 
Bridge,  Gridley  97 
Brigham,  Elisha  it  Co.  134 
Brooks,  John  111 
Brown, 329 

Anna  212 

Chad  212 

David  178 

James  212 

John  123,  212 

John  Carter  172 

John  I.  330 

Joseph  212 

Mary  (Harris)  212 

Moses  212 

Nicholas  212 

William    W.    182.   186,    189,    104, 
199,  324 
Brown  &  Ives  172 
Browne,  Edward  I.  247,  332 
Buchanan,  James  271 
Buckingham,  Jos.  T.  114,  163 
Buffum,  Horace  324,  327 

Mary  R.  (Page)  324,  327 
Bugbee,  Edward  330 
Bullard,  Lewis  330 

Samuel  P.  215 
Bullock,  Harriet  325,  326 

Kent  78 

Sarah  (Pearce)  327 

William  P.  327 
Burdick,  Isaac  70 
Burgess,  Tristram  89 
Burke,  Edmund  205 


INDEX   OF   NAMES. 


339 


Burrill,  James  89 
Burrough,  Anu  Frances  ;!2(') 

Lucy  A.  ?,2(> 

William  324 
Butler,  Benjamin  F.  149 
Cady,  Isaac  H.  160,  324 
Cahoone,  Stephen  206 
Calvin,  John  279 
Cameron,  Bill  189 

Capron, 329 

Cardwell, 284 

Carlisle,  Edward  15;") 
Carpenter,  Earl  16-> 

F.  W.  324 

Henry  324 

Peter  315 
Carrington,  (Gen.)  184 
Cartee,  Cornelius  S.  150,  151,  100, 
324,  327 

Samuel  151 

Sarah  P.  (Jenckes)  324,  327 
Carter,  Thomas  330 
Case,  James  B.  (Mi-s).  94 

Laura  L.  (Williams)  94 
Cass,  Lewis  149,  237 
Caswell,  Sarah  (Hodges)  48 
Chace,  John  Barnet  89 
Chamberlain,  Wm.  E.  107 
Champney,  James  H.  229,  247-249, 
oo2,  ooo 

James  Wells  249 

John  249 

Lydia  (Howe)  249 

O.  W.  330 

Sarah  Elizabeth  (Wells)  249 
Chapin,  Amory  173,  326 

Henry  B.  332 

Sarah  A.  (Aborn)  32ti 

Chappotin, 125 

Chase,  Salmon  P.  259 
Cheney,  Martin  208 
Child,  Joshua  247,  332 

Stephen  330 
Church,  John  166 
Clapp,  Noah  320 


Clark,  Enoch  W.  (Mrs.)  120 

Isaac  98 

Joseph  W.  120 

Sarah  Dodge  120 
Clarke,  Abigail  Morton  325 

Enoch  W.  120,  326 

George  F.  40,  42 

Pitt  36,  .37,  43,  .57,  68,  73,  84,  211 , 
325 

Sarah  (Dodge)  120,  326 

Thomas  25 

William  Y.  324 
Clay,  Henry  272 
Cleaveland,  Chauncy  F.  192 

(Dr.)  208,  209 
Clifford,  (Mayor)  162 

Joiin  Henry  324 
Cobb,  82 

Elias  74 

Ellsha  315 

Silas  40,  319 
Coburn,  Marcus  151 
Colfax,  (Schuyler)  41 
Comstock.  (Mrs.)  91 

Anna  (Brown)  212 

Benjamin  212,  216 

Benjamin  W.  326 

Catherine  211,  326 

Elizabeth  (Arnold)  212 

Esther  (Jenckes)  212 

Hannah  (Bowen)  212 

Jeremiah  212 

John  212 

Martha  148,  211-213,  215,  238,  326 

Mary  (Winsor)  212 

Sally  Brown  212 

Samuel  211,  212 

William  128,  211 

Conway, 88,  100 

Cooke,  Josiah  P.  229,  245-247,  330, 

332 
Cooper, 88 

Thomas  A.  100 

Copeland, 70 

Corey,  Barney  94 


340 


INDEX   OF   NAMES. 


Crackbon  &  Howe,  880 
Grossman,  Charles  L.  70,  71 

Elisha  78 
Cummings,  Amos  107 
Curtis,  Caleb  A.  332 
Cushing,  Elizabeth  Adelaide  (Bald- 
win) 252 

James  107 

James  W.  229,  333 

Thomas  252 
Cutting,  William  E.  151 
Dall,  William  245 
Dallas,  George  M.  270 
Danforth,  Asa  60,  84,  85,  315 

Benjamin  138 

Edward  K.  72 

Henry  143 

Mary  J.  72 

Samuel  19,  28,  143 

Sarah  28 

Thomas  31,  40,  42,  77,  83,  99,  314, 
815 

Thomas  M.  72,  78 
Davis,  Charles  246,  330,  332 

J.  Amory  233 
Day,  Daniel  218 
De  Russey  J.  219 
De  Wolf,  (Gen.)  190 

Mark  Anthony  204,  205 
Dean,  George  118 

Eichard  55 
Dearborn,  (Gen.)  109 

Henry  106 
Derby,  Elias  H.  330 
Desi^eau,  (Capt.)  187 
Dexter,  Ebenezer  Knight  182 

Samuel  184 
Dickerman,  William  A.  ]07 

Dickson, 100 

Dike,  Joseph  A.  326 

Lucy  A.  (Burrough)  326 
Dimon,  Byron  206 
Dockray,  Caesar  87 
Dodge,  George  F.  333 

Sarah  120.  326 


Dodge,  Susan  H.  325,  326 
Doggett,  Samuel  330 
Donnison,  Wm.  27 
Dorr,  Lydia  (Allen)  176 

Samuel  330 

Sullivan  176,  203,  208 

Thomas    Wilson    123,    1.52,    172, 
176,  178,  180-198,  195,  196,  198, 
208,  205-210 
Drake,  Darius  316 

Jeremy  338 
Draper,  Nehemiah  S.  154 
Drummond, 87,  88 

(Mrs.)  87,  88 
Dudley,  D.  98,  94,  131 

David  330 
Duff,  (Mrs.)  88 
Duncan,  Alexander  172,  173 
Dunlap,  Molly  129 
Dunn,  William  324 
Dunnell,  Thomas  L.  173 
Durfee,  Ann  Chaloner  2()6 

(Judge)  207 
Dutton,  George  D.  229,  382 

Thomas  M.  333 
Dyer,  Albert  Field  160,  324,  32(i 

Amy  Ann  (Ellis)  324,  .32() 

Cyrus  828 

Elisha  145 

Mary  (Thurber)  828 
Easton,  John  A.  247,  382 
Edes,  Henry  154,211,  223 
Eddy,  John  J.  333 

Maria  221 

Richard  E.  151 
Edwards,  George  57 
Eliot,  John  19 
Ellis, 125 

Amy  Ann  824,  326 

Cyrus  826 

George  E.  168 
Emmons,  John  L.  98,  211,  226-229 

332 
Emmons  Sz  Weld  226.  228 
Eustis,  William  158 


INDEX   OF   NA]\rES. 


341 


Everett,  Aaron  ^oO 

Edward  28 

Moses  330 

Otis  330 
Fabyan,  George  173 
Farley,  Frederick  A.  223,  224 
Farmer,  William  324 
Farnum,  Henry  325 

Eoyal  325 
Farrel,  John  107 
Farrelly,  P.  A.  219 
Fay,  Windsor  245,  246,  330,  332 
Felton,  Luther  330 
Fenner,  James  157,  162,  165,  167, 

168,  170,  205,  206 
Fenno,  William  106,  107 
Field, 134 

(Capt.)  166 

Harriet  S.  134 

James  132 
Field  &  Fobes  132 
Fillmore,  Millard  271,  272 

Finn,  100 

Fish,  Eliza  Ann  (Ghxzior)  267 

Henry  H.  155 
Fisher,  Elias  312,  313 

Oliver  330,  332 

Warren  332 
Flagg,  John  F.  B.  151 
Fobes,  George  \V.  132,  133 

Thomas  316 
Fobes  &  Tucker,  315,  316 
Ford,  Fred,  F.  333 
Foster,  Peddy  65 
Fowle,  Parker,  220,  332 
Foye,  William  24 
Franklin,  Benjamin  237 

Sarah  A.  326 
Freeman,  (Mrs.)  S3 

Sanforth  83 
Fremont,  John  (;.  271 
French,  B.  F.  131 

Benjamin  V.  245,  330 

Hannah  Weld  (Williams)  03 

James  310 


French,  Jonathan  93,  131 

Kebecka  316 
French  &  Weld,  245,  330 
Frieze,  Jacob  175 
Frost,  Hezekiah  266 
Fuller,  125 

Henry  H.  330 
Gardner,  Grace  233,  241 

Samuel  J.  330 
Gilbert,  Benjamin  J.  330 

George  85,  8(i,  90,  92,  98,  101,  111, 
112,  144 

Hannah  87 

Hannah  P.  320 

Harriet  Sprague  326 

John  45 

(Mrs.)  George  86,  87 

Gilchrist,  138 

Giles,  John  173 
Gill,  Perez  330 
(iladding,  (Miss)  326 

Frances  C.  (Hurlburt)  325,  327 

Henry  G.  325,  327 
Glazier,  Araery  266 

Ann  Chaloner  (Durfee)  266 

Calvin  266 

Eliza  Ann  267 

Jane  Hudson  266 

John  266 

Lydia  (Pierce)  266 
Goddard,  Jonathan  330 
Goldschmidt,  Otto  243 
Gooding,  Abby  (Williams)  328 

Albert  328 
Gorham,  Desire  Taylor  263 

Jabez  122 
Goss,  S.  T.  333 
Gould,  John  128,  129 
Graapner,  Charles  147 
(irant,  Ulysses  S.  41,  237 
(irant  ife  Stone  134 
Gratton,  Edward  327 

Mary  (Stillwell)  327 
Graves,  Emma  327 
Gray,  Francis  C.  330 


342 


INDEX    OF   NAMES. 


Crreen,  Alphonso  199 

John  102 
Greene,  Albert  C.  122 

Albert  G.  155 

Henry  A.  332 

Joseph  C.  151 
Greenwood,  W.  F.  P.  93 
Grey,  (Lord)  276 
Grieve,  David  90 
Grindall,  Edmund  19 
naile,  George  C.  325 
Hale,  Nathan  113,  114 
Hall,  Brian  320 

Charles  B.  256 

Edward  Brooks  224 

Isaac  86 
Hallett,  George  W.  153,  172,  173, 
194,  205,  325,  326 

Louisa  (Branch)  325,  326 
Hansen,  Edward  K.  151 
Harding,  Harriet  N.  242 
Harrington,  Ephraim  102-105 
Harris,  Charles  F.  197 

Mary  212 
Harrison,  William  274 
Haskell,  S.  249 
Hatch,  Israel  125 
Haven,  Franklin  259,  260 
Hayden,  William  330 
Ilayward,  George  330 
Head,  Joseph  330 
Heard,  Nathan  119 
Heard  &  Estabrooks,  1 19 
Hedges,  see  Hodges 
Hendley,  James  330 
Herbert,  Louis  219 
Heth,  Henry  219 
Hill,  Isaac  149 

W.  H.  219 
Hills,  Harry  96 
Hix,  Dudley  153 
Hodges,  Abigail  (Sanford)  22 

Almon  Danforth,  Jr.  216, 231, 299 

Amory  Glazier  2(»7,  332 

Andrew  321 


Hodges,  Bradford  204 
Carroll  242 
Danforth  Comstock  86,  153.  216, 

223,  233 
Edward  Carroll  86,  267 
Francis  Oluey  216,  231,  2.33,  268 
Frederick  Stimson  216,  231,  273, 

296 
George  73 
George  Foster  216,  219,  231,  293- 

295 
Henry  20,  21 
Henry  C.  50 
James  32 
Jane  86 
Jane  Hudson  ((xlazier)  [Leonard] 

266 
John  20 

Jonathan,  Jr.  25-28,  30-35,  40,  43, 
45,    48,   51-58,    61-63,    307-309, 
311,  313,  317,  319 
Jonathan,  Sr.  25-28,  32,  34,  42,  44- 

48,  60,  65,  80,  84,  1.58 
Joseph  21,  22,  57,  58 
Lurana  W.  (Lane)  72 
Martha  86 
Martha  (Comstock)  211-214,  216, 

233,  326 
Mary  (Andrews)  20 
Newton  S.  65,  70-72,  77,  78,  80, 

81,  91 
Rufus  45,  54,  55 
Sarah  (Danforth)  28,  34 
William  20,  275 

William  Townsend  216,  231,  233, 
296-298,  333 
Hodges  &  Emmons  226-228 
Hodges,  Emmons  &  Weld  226-228 
Ilolbrook,  Henry  J.  331 
Holley,  Horace  92 
Holman,  Ralph  W.  231 
Homer,  Benjamin  P.  109 
Hooper,  James  R.  332 
Iloppin,  William  W.  173 
Horton,  Mary  70,  71,  140 


INDEX   OF   NAMES. 


J43 


Horton,  Sanford  157 
Hosmer,  (Miss)  286 
Hovey,  Henry  &  Co.  ool 
Howe,  Lyclia  249 
Howell,  John  153 
Howland,  John  150 
Huggeford,  Henry  A.  107 
Hunneman,  John  A.  33o 
Hunter,  William  154 
Hunting,  Thomas  245,  331 

Huntingdon,  143 

Huntington,  Ralph  107 
Hurlburt,  Frances  C.  325, 
Huss,  John  277 
Hutchins,  Shubael  122 
Inches,  John  C.  332 
Ingraham  tt  Greene,  57 
Ireland,  Jonathan  331 
Ives,  Moses  B.  172,  173 

Robert  H.  172 
Jackson,  Andrew  149 
Francis  332 
George  W.  325 
James  A.  153,  325 
Mary  Brown  327 
Susan  W.  327 
Jac(iues,  Henry  247,  249,  3; 
Jenckes,  Esther  212 
Patience  (Sprague)  212 
Sarah  P.  324,  327 
William  212 

Jenkes, 329 

Jestram,  Mary  327 
Jewett,  (Sergt.-Major)  200 
Johnson,  Edward  333 

Samuel  331 
Jones,  May  Caroline  327 

William  89 
Joslen,  Henry  4(),  47 
Josling,  see  Joslen 
Kean,  Edmund  88,  99,  100, 
Keep,  Jolin  C.  197 
Kellogg,  Henry  249,  2."j3,  33 
Kelton,  Phebe  tlti 
Kemble,  100 


145 


Kemble,  Fanny  88 
Kendall,  Amos  149 

Henry  L.  173 
Kennedy,  Cora  293 
Kidder,  Peabody  &  Co.  2(55 
Kilbourne,  George  O.  50 
Kilham,  Charles  II.  333 

Kilner,  100 

Kimball,  Moses  88 
King,  (Col.)  199 

Samuel  Ward  169,  184,  192,  193, 
205,  296 
Knapp,  Josiah  245 

Sybil  251 
Knight,  Nehemiah  R.  89 
Knowles,  Joseph  327 

May  Caroline  (Jones)  327 
La  Pistori,  (Capt.)  277,  281 
Lafayette,  (Gen.)  156-161 
Lamb,  Thomas  259,  260 
Lambert,  William  B.  332 
Lamson,  John  A.  331 
Lane,  Lurana  W.  72 
Lanes,  Ephraim  321 

Lang, 151 

Larcher,  Ann  325 
Lawrence,  Samuel  C.  294 
Leonard,  Ephraim  25 

George  38,  39,  4S 

Creorge,  Jr.  25 

Gustavus  266 

Henry  38 

James  38 

Jane  Frances  267,  268,  279 

Jane  Hudson  (Glazier)  266 
Lewis,  William  B.  149 
Lincoln,  Abraham  290 

Almira  132 

Luther  319 

M.  Ill 

Minor  S.  86,  87,  98 

William  229,  332 
Lind,  Jenny  243 
Lodge,  G.  Henry  93,  94 

Mary  E.  (Williams)  93 


344 


INDEX   OF   NAMES. 


Loring,  Barnabas  T.  331,  382 
Lothrop,  Henry  W.  328 

Louisa  (Thornton)  328 

Samuel  Kirkland  23H 
Lovering,  Edward  332 

Joseph  331 
Low,  Francis  A.  247,  332,  333 

George  F.  333 
Lowell,  James  Russell  237 

John  331 
Luther,  Seth  178 
Lyman,  George  T.  229,  332 

Lynfield, 99 

Lyon,  Danforth,  151 

John  151 
Mackey,  William  332 
Macomber,  Howard  it  Saw  in  331 
Macready,  — —  88 
Makepeace,  Betsey  31 

David  41 

Isaac  45 
Manton,  Eobert  302 
Marett,  Betsey  Esther  252 

Philip  331 
Marsh,  Bela  331 

John  106,  107,  112 
Martin,  John  321 

Josiah  H.  182,  194,  199 
Mason,  Ann  (Lai-cher)  325 

Coomer  E.  325 

Earl  P.  325 
Mauran,  Nathaniel  S.  325 
Mawney,  John  154 
Maxwell,  Noble  200 
May,  George  95 

Perrin  331 
Mayo,  John  19 
McCabe,  Ann  80 
McLean,  John  237 
McNeill,  William  Gibbs  199,  200 
Mears,  Catherine  M.  (Raymond)  G4 

Elijah  G4 
Mehaffy,  C.  O.  292 
Merry,  Robert  Davis  Coolidge  93 

Sarah  Ann  (Williams)  93 


Messenger,  Daniel  331 
Metcalf,  Betsey  31 

Nat.  178 

Thomas  S.  91 
Miller,  Lewis  L.  194 
Minard,  Peter  S.  148,  328 
Mitchell,  William  178 
Mixter,  George  332 
Moffit,  Orson  173 
Monroe,  James  87 
Morey, 34. 

(Dr.)  84 

George  101 

Nicholas  20 

Samuel  320 

Thomas  35,  75,  139,  315,  31(3,  321 
Morgan,  William  213 
Morse,  Nathaniel  Tiugley  325 
Moseley,  D.  C.  331 

Flavel,  229,  332 
Mudge,  Solomon  Hinckley  KiO,  325, 
326 

Susan  Dodge  120 

Susan  H.  (Dodge)  325,  326 
Needham,  John  124,  125 
Nesbit,  Ancel  F.  230 
Nestell,  Christian  M.  165 
Nevers,  B.  M,  331 

Isaac  107 
Newcomb,  Samuel  320 

Silvester  41 
Newhall,  Benjamin  W.  333 
Nightingale,  (Col.)  182 
Nims,  Nelson  E.  174 
Noyes,  Ann  C.  325,  327 

John  M. 327 

Moses  151 
Oakes,  Abel  185 
Okie,  Abraham  H.  230 
Olney,  Frances  (Stillwell)  211,  327 

James  M.  204 

James  N.  152,  153,  211,  327 

Stephen  157 
Page,  Benjamin  154 

George  W.  325 


TiSDKX    OF    NAMKS. 


345 


Page,  Mavy  K.  o'24,  o27 
Paige,  Frederick  A.  227,  228 

George  227 
Palmer,  George  44 

Joseph  321 
Palmerston,  (Lord)  27() 
Parker,  Daniel  3o,  314,  315 
John  331 
John,  Jr.  331 
Luther  102 
Peter  331 

yamuel  H.  106,  108 
Patten,  William  S.  155 
Payson,  Perrin  331 

Samuel  C.  333 
Peabody,  George  &  Co.  270 
Pearce,  Edward  325,  320 
Harriet  (Bullock)  325,327 
Sarah  327 
Peck,  Allen  O.  153,  325 
Mary  Spurr  327 
Mary  (Whitaker)  325 
Peckham,  Samuel  W.  197 
Peirce,  George  152 
Perkins,  Rufus  331 
Perry,  Alvin  72 
John  &  Son  231 
Lemuel  110 
Marshall  S.  164,  242 
Person,  Benjamin  320 
Phillips,  John  109 
William  111,  261 
Pickering,  David  155 
Pierce,  Lydia  266 
Pierpont,  John  92 
Piper,  Solomon  331 
Pitman,  John  H.  153 
John  T.  173 

Polley, 125 

Pond,  (Capt.)  197,  198 

Joshua  320 
Porter,  A.  292 

Amelia  S.  (Towusend)  211, 

328 
Charles  211,  325,  328 


Porter,  Fitz  John  109,  219 
Powell,  (Mrs.)  88,  100 
Powers,  Mike  95 
Pownall,  Thomas  25 

Pratt. 133 

William  325 
Prendergast,  James  M.  332 
Prescott,  Edward  331 
Preston,  Elisha  331 
Price,  Henry  246,  332 
Henry  &,  Co.  331 

Proctor, 80 

Putnam,  Charles  A.  247,  332, 
Charles  P.  229 
George  236 
Stephen  140 
Pyne,  Louisa  F.  274 

Susan  274 
Quigley,  William  II.  250 
Quincy,  Josiah  124,  159 
Quirk,  Margaret  86 

Randall, 147 

Raymond,  Catherine  M.  64 

Ephraim  55,  64 
Reill,  (Lieut.)  183 
Rhett,  Thomas  G.  219 
Rhodes,  Caroline  M.  (Braucli 
Eliza  (Soule)  327 
George  A.  327 
George  W.  326 
James  T.  122 
Peleg  A.  326 
Rice,  John  P.  331 
Richard,  Lawrence  178 
Richards,  J.  A.  247,  332 
Richardson,  (Adjt.)  107 
Robinson,  Enoch  63 
Rodman,  Elizabeth  264 
Rogers  &  Sons  275 
Savols,  John  A,  106,  107 
Savels  <Si  Reynolds  105 
Saltonstall,  Richard  M.  332 
Sanford,  Abigail  22 
Scott,  Walter  285 
Winfield  271,  272 


)326 


346 


INDEX    OF   N A:\FKS. 


Searle,  Nathaniel  89 
Sellers  &  Pennock  145 
Shannon,  (Capt.)  28(» 
Sharp,  Edward  331 

James  104 
Shaw,  Jacob  3UJ 

Lemuel  331 

Oliver  150,  151 
Sheldon,  William  122 
Shelly,  Charles  J.  197 
Shields,  H.  L.  219 
Shurtleff,  N.  B.  94 
Sigourney,  Daniel  A.  229,  247,  331 
Simes,  Joseph  S.  332 

William  332 
Simmons,  D.  A.  331 
Sissou,  B.,  (Mrs.)  242 

Skinner, 132 

Slack,  (Col.)  125 

David  B.  327 

Susan  W.  (Jackson)  327 
Smith, 326,  329 

Amos  D.  155,  173,  204,  320 

Arunah  314 

Daniel  85 

(Gen.)  205 

Harriet  Spraguc  (Gilbert)  320 

James  Y.  122 

John  212 

Mary  327 

Samuel  I.  155 

Sarah  A.  (P'ranklin)  32r> 

Turpin  154 

William  Ileury  152 
Soren,  John  J.  333 
Soule,  Eliza  327 
Spooner,  Ann  C.  (Noyes)  325,  327 

Joshua  325,  327 
Sprague,  Charles  159 

Edwin  li.  332 

(;.  I.  331 

Patience  212 
Spnrgeon,  Charles  II.  270 
Stall,  Isaac  45 

William  44 


Stanley,  Sally  35,  312,  313 
Stanwood,  Eben  C.  332 
Stead,  Thomas  J.  173 
Stearns,  Jonathan  P.  245,  331 
Stedman,  John  B.  198,  199 

Josiah  229,  240,  247,  331,  332 

W.  M.  331 
Stevens,  Benjamin  331 
Stiles,  Fred.  B.  G.  299 
Stillwell,  Frances  211,  327 

Mary  327 
Stimson,  Abigail  Morton  (Clarke) 
325 

John  Jones  80,  87,    98,   111-1 J3, 
110,  211,  220,  325 
Stimson  it  Hodges   113,   110,    118, 
119,  123,  127,  144,  140,  185,  220, 
227,  322,  325 
Stimson  &  Paige  227 
Stone,  Dexter  134 

(Miss)  131 
Street,  Nicholas  19 
Sumner,  Charles  271 

Increase  20 
Sutton,  — —  329 
Swan,  AVm.  B.  199 
Sweet,  Joseph  184 
Taber,  Oliver  E.  122 
Taft,  George  215 

Read  125 
Talcott,  N.  P.  218 
Taney,  Koger  B.  149 
Taylor,  Zachary  237 
Thacher,  Charles  245,  240,  332 
Thackeray,     William     Makepeace 
284 

Thaxter,  147 

Thayer,  Sylvanus  218 
Thompson,  John  245,  240,  331,  332 
Thorndike,  Israel  P.  331 
Tliornton,  Louisa  328 
Thurber,  Isaac  122 

Mary  211,  328 
Mary  C.  328 
Tilden,  Thomas  331 


INDEX   OF   NAMES. 


347 


TJllingliast,  William  J.  178 
Tingley,  Samuel  152 

Sylvaniis  150,  152 
Tobey,  (Dr.)  15)4 
Tolhurst,  William  II.  50 
Tompson,  William  19 
Topliff,  Samuel  331 
Townsend,  Amelia  S.  211,  325,  328 

J.  P.  331 

William  H.  150,  238,  241,  333 
Tveadwell,  Sanford  L.  248,  333 
Tree,  Ellen  88 
Trow,  Benjamin  42 

Israel  31G 
Tucker,  A.  &  W.  M.  2(51 

Alanson  229,  247,  332 

Benajah  45,  74 

Hezekiah  315 

W.  M.  261 
Tuckerman,  John  147 
Turner,  La  Prelate  U.  247,  332.  333 
Tyler,  John  162,  182 

John  S.  107-109,  326 
Updike,  Wilkins  207 
Van  Buren,  D.  T.  219 

Martin  237 
Vanderbilt,  Cornelius  127 

Jacob  127 
Vickery,  Benjamin  C.  333 
Victoria  ((Jueen)  276 
Visner,  Martin  276 

Volum, 69 

Von  Weber,  275 

Vose,  Ebenezer  it  Co.  331 

Josiah  331 
Wade,  Edward  E.  173 
Wadsworth,  John  A.  173 
Wainwright,  Henry  331 
Waldo,  Daniel  143 
Wales,  Ebenezer  33 1 
Walker,  Eleazer  56,  85,  139 

H.  60 
(Mrs.)  140 
Wallack, 88 

James  William  lOU,   145 


Wallack,  Lester  145 
Walley,  Samuel  II.  259 
Walsh,  Mike  192,  197 
Ware,  Clarissa  328 

Leander  M.  152 
Warlield,  Sarah  225 
Warner,  Oliver  294,  295,  297-299 
Warren,  William  100 
Washington,  George  41 
Waterman,  Kufus  122 
Wayland,  Francis  156,  194 
Webster,  Daniel  161-164,  237,  272 
Weeden,  Enos  11.  326 
Weld,  Christopher  Minot247.  261, 
331,  332 

Daniel  94,  99,  246,  331,  332 

Elizabeth  (Rodman)  264 

Francis  Minot  264 

Hannah  92 

John  D.  226-228 

T.  B.  J.  219 
Welles,  John  331 
Wells,  Sarah  Elizabetli  219 
Wessels,  Benjamin  F.  332 
West,  Benjamin  331 
Wetherel,  John  20 
Wetherell,  Ebenezer  308.  309.  31 1 
Wheaton,  F.  L.  153 

Laban  39,  85 

Laban  M.  110 
Wheeler,  (Col.)  188,  190 
Wheeler  *  Wilson  270 
Wheelock,  Godfrey  119 
Wheldon,  Capt.  238 
Whipple,  John  89 

William  B.  173 
Whitaker,  Josiah  154 

Mary  325 
White,  J.  A.  2(il 

Nicholas  20 

Warren  33 1 
Whitmore,  Charles  ().  2(ii) 
AVhitney,  John  107 

Josiah  &  Co.  331 
Willard,  Ilezekiali  182 


348 


INDEX   OF    NAMES. 


Williams,  Abby  ;;28 
Caroline  E.  1)2,  m 
David  321 
David  Weld  !t2 
(Jeorge  Foster  92 
Ilajinah  Weld  92,  'X, 
Hannah  (Weld)  92 
Jason  147 

John  D.  90-94,  96,  lo4,  ;!;]2 
John  D.  &  M.  90-92,  98,  112,  158, 

:!31 
Laura  L.  94 
Mary  (Blake)  9;J 
Mary  Elizabeth  92,  9:', 
Moses  90-94,   164,   174,   229,  246, 

247,  332 
Moses  Blake  93,  174 
Roger  212 
Sarah  Ann  92,  9:5 
Thomas  20,  331 


Williamson,  134 

Willis,  Benjamin  321 
Wilson,  John  19 

Winchester, 139 

Windsliip,  Charles  M.  241 
Winslow,  A Imira  86,  303 

John  303 
Winsor,  Ira  B.  328 

Mary  212 

Mary  C.  (Thurber)  328 

Kobert  265 
Wiswall,  Noah  308 
Wood,  J.  B.  (Mrs.)  329 
Woodbury,  Levi  149 
Woodward,  Dr.  75 

Molly  65 
Worth,  (Major)  106 
Worthington,  Francis  331 

William  331 
Wyman,  William  331 


INDEX   OF    SUBJECTS. 


Adams,  John  Q..  Letter  of  28 
Albany,  X.  Y.,  1>]5,  137,   140,   141, 
218,    219;     Rockwell's    Mansion 
House  140;  State  House  140 
Albemarle  (Steamer)  134 
Anti-Masonic  excitement  214 
Association    for    Suppression     of 

Counterfeiting  254,  256 
Attleborough  82,  119,  124-126 
Barter  prices  in  1790-1819,  317,  318 
Blackstone  Canal  171 
Boston:  Ancient  and  Honorable 
Artillery  95;  Boylston  Insurance 
Co.  249,  330;  Boylston  Market 
249;  Brattle  Street  Church  23(5; 
Brigade  Band  1H2;  Cadets  162, 
163;  Cathedral  of  the  Holy  Cross 
93;  City  Guards,  formed  105, 
their  uniform  and  drills  109, 
ball  at  the  Marlboro  Hotel  110, 
parades  109,  159,  238;  Cochitu- 
ate  water  celebration  237,  238; 
Columbian  Museum  99;  Earth- 
quake 231;  Exchange  Coffee 
House  159;  Executions  in  95; 
Federal  Street  Theatre  99,  100; 
First  Church  in  19,  20;  Green 
stores  94;  Handel  and  Haydn 
Society  99;  Hollis  Street  Church 
92;  Lafayette  Hotel  249;  Lan- 
cers 163;  New  England  Galaxy 
99,  114;  Reception  to  Lafayette 
159-161;  Residence  of  J.  D.  Wil- 
liams 93,  94 ;  Residence  of  Moses 


Williams  94:  Second  Church  in 
19;  "Sliver  Heels"  104, 105;  Suf- 
folk Light  Inf'y  105;  Theatres 
88,  99,  100;  United  States  Hotel 
231,  243;  Weekly  Messenger  113, 
114;  Winslow  Blues  107.  (See 
also  Roxbury.) 

Braintree,  First  Church  in  19 

Brooklyn,  X.  Y.,  131,  134;  City 
Hall  135;  Xavy  Yard  134;  Tread- 
mill 135;  Waterloo  (harden  135 

Brown  University  38,  66,  68,  156, 
160,  162,  185 

Bunker  Hill  Celebrations  160-164 

Canton  viaduct  126 

Chancellor  Livingston  (Steamer) 
135 

Cholera  and  its  ravages  241 

Clarke,  Pitt,  Theological  opinions 
of  36 

Cold  Friday  in  Xew  England  74 

Dedham  124,  125;  Turnpike  124 

Domestic  life  in  old  Xew  England 
17.     (See  Xorton.) 

Dorr  fans  208 

Dorr  War,  121,  175-210,  its  causes 
176-181,  its  leaders  179,  organi- 
zation of  the  "  Foundry  Legisla- 
ture" 181,  Pres.  Tyler  asked  to 
interfere  182,  militia  called  out 
182,  184,  first  offensive  move- 
ment 183,  State  Arsenal  threat- 
ened 185,  188,  attack  on  frustra- 
ted 188.  Dorr  escapes  190,  Gov. 


350 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


King  offers  a  reward  for  his  cap- 
ture 192,   City   (Tiiard   regiment 
organized  194,  troubles  renewed 
195,  camp  on  Acote's  Hill   196, 
arrival   of    recruits    196,    197,   a 
leader  captured    197,  tried   and 
sentenced    198,    disposition     of 
State  troops   199,  the   marcli  to 
Chepachet  200,  a  zealous  senti- 
nel 201,  202,  insurgents'  fort  cap- 
tured  202.    llight   of   Dorr    20;], 
excitement   subsides    20-J,    Dorr 
seeks  to  return  to  Rhode  Island 
206,  threatened  with  arrest  206, 
returns,  is  arrested  and  impris- 
oned 207,  his  prison  life  208,  209. 
discharged  209,  dies  in  obscurity 
210 
Earthquakes  in  Xew  England  2ol 
Eclipse  of  the  Sun,  in  1806,  74 
Everett,  Edward,  Letter  to  2S 
Fairfield,  Conn.,  129 
Fire-fly  (Steamer)  87 
Frankford  Arsenal  lo2 
Franklin  (seventy-four)  l:]4 
P'ulliag  Mill,  described  48-51;  its 

operation  50-53 
Goose  brook  46,  (50 
Harvard  College  19,  38,  39,  23(i 
Hodges,  Almon  I).,  Ancestry  19- 
22;  Ancestry  of  his  first  wife 
211-213;  Ancestry  of  his  second 
wife  266;  Birth  29;  Boyhood  days 
and  school  reminiscences  64- 
83;  ''Old  Jenny"  81,  82;  Som- 
nambulic experience  75:  Two 
run-aways  75,  76;  Apprentice 
days  84;  Takes  a  position  with 
the  Messrs.  Williams  in  Boston 
91;  Business  life,  early,  in  Bos- 
ton 90;  Sugar  exploit  96;  His 
first  marriage.  Providence  211; 
Wedding  tour  215,  216;  His 
.second  marriage  266;  Business 
life  in  Providence  116-126,   144, 


146;  Providence  Co-partnership 
111-113;  Dissolved  226, 227;  Bus- 
iness life  in  Boston  226-228; 
Washington  Bank  245-265,  330- 
336,  becomes  its  President  228, 
resigns  262;  His  first  grand- 
child 300;  Closing  years  301-305 ; 
As  remembered  by  his  children 
13,  15;  Morning  greetings  14; 
Tommy  Red  and  Johnny  Green 
15;  Characteristic  traits  221-223, 
252,  254,  269,  291:  Begins  a  diary 
96;  Duties  of  a  Chief  Marshal 
291;  Interest  in  Genealogy  268; 
President  of  the  N.  E.  Historic- 
Genealogical  Society  61,  268;  In- 
terview with  an  ex-banker  223; 
Interview  with  a  "  Friend  '"  194, 
195;  Church  affiliations  223,  224, 
236;  Religious  views  304;  Musi- 
cal tastes  149-152;  Hears  Jenny 
Lind,  243;  Political  offices  121, 
122;  Political  preferences  237, 
271,  272;  Attends  Whig  conven- 
tions in  Boston  163,  164;  On 
committee  to  consider  libera- 
tion of  Dorr  207;  Death  305; 
Death  of  his  first  wife  229,  241, 
242;  Death  of  his  step-daughter 
268;  Death  of  his  youngest  son 
268;  Home  in  Providence  216, 
230;  Family  life  in  Pi-ovidence 
211-225;  Household  expenses  in 
Providence  224,  225;  Home  in 
Roxbury  13-15,  232-23(),  243;  re- 
opened 267:  Home  (summer)  in 
Portsmouth,  R.  I.  ;!02,  303;  Col- 
ored servants  224,  225;  Military 
service  in  Boston  102-105;  Aids 
in  forming  the  City  Guard  105; 
Military  service  in  Rhode  Island 
165-174,  189,  194,  105,  199,  204; 
Attitude  in  the  Civil  War  289- 
292;  xiids  in  forming  Roxbury 
Horse  Guards  290,  its  comman- 


INDEX    OF    srjJ.IKCTS. 


351 


der  174,  290,  291;  Four  sons 
serve  in  tlie  Civil  War  292-300; 
Military  commissions  108-170, 
291;  Declines  commission  as 
Colonel  and  Brigadier-General 
Mass.  Militia  174;  Amusements 
99;  Cambridge  horse  race  97; 
Cotillion  parties  in  Providence 
148.  324-329;  Describes  a  race 
115;  Garden-plot  in  Ifoxbury 
234,  235 ;  Holiday  excursions  217- 
221;  Law  case  in  Lanesboro  142: 
Poetic  effusion  114;  Prevents  a 
robbery  96;  Reminiscences  of 
Actors  99,  100.  145;  Thanksgiv- 
ing festivals  2(39;  Journeys:  on 
a  Hudson  river  steamboat  136, 
137,  to  Saratoga  138,  139,  to 
Xew  York,  Philadelphia  and 
return  128-143,  to  Boston  in 
advance  of  Lafayette  158,  to 
West  Point  218,  219,  to  Nia- 
gara Falls  219,  220,  to  White 
Mountains  243,  244,  to  Europe 
274-288,  itinerary  286,  288,  vari- 
ous 272,  273;  Walks  from  Bos- 
ton to  Providence  101 

Hodges,  Martha,  Birth  211,  an- 
cestry 211-213,  wedding  211,  her 
character  214,  215,  her  mother 
212-214,  death  229,  241,  242 

Hodges,  George  Foster,  Service  in 
the  Civil  War  293,  commissions 
294,  295;  Tribute  to  his  memory 
293 

Hodges,  Jane  H.,  Ancestry  266; 
Birth  267;  Marriage  267;  Char- 
acter 267-269. 

Hodges,  Jonathan,  Jr.,  Birth  25. 
death  84 ;  Extracts  from  his  Ledg- 
ers 54,  55,  308-318;  His  dye-stuffs 
51-53;  His  fulling  mill  51-53,  79; 
His  residence  58.  60;  Household 
furniture  60,  61;  Military  ser- 
vice 26:  Personal  effects  57,  61, 


62;  Kcsignatiou  ul  commission 
27;  Revolutionary  service  25,  57, 
58,   63 

Hodges,  Jonathan,  Sr.,  Badge  of 
office  22;  Commission  25:  Con- 
fession of  22,  23;  Specimens  of 
his  Ledger  accounts  46,  47 

Hodges,  Jonathan,  3d,  An  ingen- 
ious mechanic  28 

Hodges.  Major  Joseph,  Silver- 
hilted  sword  21 

Hodges.  William  T.,  Service  in  the 
Civil  War  296.  commissions  297. 
298,  falls  in  battle  at  High 
Bridge  296 

Hodges  Light  Guard  29(i 

Holiday  customs  95 

Home-guards  in  the  Civil  War  291 

Iron-smelting  industries  38 

Jackson's  Kitchen  Cabinet  149 

Lafayette,  Gen'l,  Visit  to  Xew  En- 
gland 156-161 

Legislator  (Steamer)  134 

Leonard,  George,  Characteristics 
of  38 

Lexington  (Steamer)  127 

Louisburg,  Cape  Breton  21 

Mansfield  82,  85;  Band  82 

May  Day  processions  13 

Meti'opolitan  Street  Railroad  13, 
270 

Mexican  War  2:17 

Middlesex  Canal  95 

Militia  trainings  82,  83 

Xew  England  Historic  Genealogi- 
cal Society  268,  301 

Xew  London,  Conn.,  127:  Turn- 
pike 127 

Xew  York  city  123-127;  Castle 
Garden  130;  Chatham  Garden 
Theatre  131;  Hell-gate  130 

Xorton  21,  22,  25,  28-47,  57-60.  82, 
91,99,  101,  117,317-321:  Artillery 
Co.  110;  Barter  prices  1790-1810, 
317-318;    Business    metliods    in 


352 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


32,  'S3;  Country  holiday  customs 
S2,  83;  Gilbert  Tavern  85; 
Household  fabrics  30,  31:  Iron 
ore  and  nail-making  31,  32;  Life 
and  customs  in  29-35;  Meeting- 
house 41,  42,  57;  Militia  compa- 
nies 45,  57,  58,  110;  Products  30- 
35;  Prominent  citizens  in  38-41, 
57;  Public  buildings  in  41-43; 
Schools  and  teachers  64-72,  ;i01; 
School  text-books  67,  (58;  School 
discipline  69 ;  School  exhibitions 
68,  70-72;  Tax  notification  and 
warrants  319,  320;  AVitch  41 
Old  New  England  customs  30-35; 
Cost  of  pi-ovisions  33;  Costume 
35;  Favorite  colors  of  dyei-s  35; 
Money  and  wages  32,  33;  Panta- 
loons, Fashions  in  35;  Riding 
costumes  of  women  35;  Social 
position  40,  41 ;  Straw-bonnets, 
making  of  31 
Pawtucket  receives  Lafayette  157 
Philadelphia  118,  132-134;  Peale's 
Museum  134;  Pratt's  Garden  133 
Presidential  election  1856,  274 
Providence,  R.  L, 31,  85-92,  98,  101, 
110-125,  144-157,  160,  162;  Aeo- 
lian Society  150;  Athenaeum 
156;  Benevolent  Cong'l  Church 
89;  Cadets  160,  182,  184,  185,  200; 
City  Guard  regiment  organized 
194,  service  in  the  Dorr  War  194, 
196,  200,  202,  204,  205;  Cotillion 
parties  148,  324-329,  gentlemen 
who  attended  324-326,  ladies 
who  attended  326-328,  caterer's 
bill  328,  329,  surplus  funds  329; 
Dexter  Trainiug-tield  182.  187; 
Dorcas  Society  148;  Earthquake 
231:  Federal  Hill  183,  188,  190; 
First  Baptist  Church  144,  211, 
212;  First  Cong'l  Church  154, 
216,  224;  Fourth  of  July  celebra- 
tions 153-156;  (Jlobe  Tavern  157 ; 


Horse  Guards  162,  170,  173,  191, 
227,  chartered  172,  290,  first  offi- 
cers 173;  Hydraulion  Fire  Com- 
pany 145;  India  Point  126;  La- 
fayette's visit  156,  157;  Library 
156;  Light  Infantry  119,  120,  147, 
162,  166,  171,  182,  186,  189,  238; 
Marine  Artillery  182,  185,  195; 
Miss  Eddy's  school  221;  Mutual 
Fire  Society  147;  Philharmonic 
Society  and  its  Concerts  150,  151 ; 
"Pig  and  Whistle"  Club  149; 
Railroads  128  ;  Rhode  Island 
Association  of  Economical  and 
Odd  Fellows  153;  Social  amuse- 
ments 147,  148;  State  election 
89;  Steamboats  127;  screw  pro- 
peller, first  trip  of  90;  Theatre 
87 ;  Visit  of  Pres.  Monroe  87 ; 
Washington  Hall  148;  Washing- 
ton's Birthday  153;  Weybosset 
Bank  120.  (See  also  the  Uorr 
War.) 

Providence  (Steamer)  127 

"Prox"  explained  206 

Roxbury  13,  94,  101,  100,  122,  124, 
125,  158,  232,  233,  235,  241-243, 
249,  266-270,  290,  291,  302;  Brin- 
ley  Place  106;  Bugbee's  Tavern 
101 ;  Changes  of  value  in  Real 
Estate  232;  Faxon's  Hill  106; 
First  Church  in  19,  236;  Horse 
Guards  174,  290,  291 ;  Tommy's 
Rocks  13,  235 

San  Francisco  in  1849,  238,  239 

Snow-storm  of   1867,  301,  302 

Stage-routes  123-127 

Stimson  it  Hodges,  Abstract  from 
books  322 

Suspension  of  specie  payments  118, 
257,  262 

Taunton,  19-21,  28,  60,  77,  92,  101, 
120;  Mormon  Camp  Meeting  164; 
Neck  of  Land  Burying  Ground 
in  21 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


Walpole  101,  124,  125;  Clapp's 
Tavern  215 ;  Fuller's  Tavern  158 ; 
Polley's  Tavern  1(30 

Washington  Bank  245-2()5,  estab- 
lished 245,  directors  and  other 
officers    246,    247,    its    building 

250,  removes    to    State     street 

251,  salaries  253,  joins  Clearing 
House  25(),  increases  capital  256, 
locations  occupied  256,  257,  in 
panic  of  1857.  257,  suspends  spe- 
cie payments  258,  259,  resump- 
tion 258,  263,  changes  to  national 
system  246,  260,  261,  holdings  of 
stockholders  260,  261,  charter 
temporarily  revived  261,  the  fire 


of  1872,  261,  2()2,  panic  of  1873, 
262,  presidents  262-2(54,  goes  into 
liquidation  264,  2(55,  prominent 
original  shareholders  330,  331, 
officers  from  foundation  331- 
333,  dividends  paid,  334,  335, 
surpluses  335,  336. 

Washington,  D.  C,  85,  121,  292 

West  Point  137,  218 

West  Point  Cadets  visit  Boston 
106,  107,  110;  Ball  at  West  Point 
218,  219 

Wheaton,  Laban,  Character  of  39, 
40;  Founder  of  Wheaton  Female 
Seminary  40 

Yale  College  38 


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